Workplace habits harming your employee retention in 2022

Here are the five workplace factors harming your employee retention, according to Rachel Murray, Head of Employee Health and Wellbeing at Bupa UK:

Poor career development opportunities

Career development supports employee wellbeing, resulting in an engaged, motivated and skilled team. Employers should look to coach and develop their team’s skillset and build on each employee’s individual strengths so they can reach their potential.

Some employees may feel as though their skills can’t be developed any further in their current role or there is no more room to grow professionally. This can lead to poor employee satisfaction and negatively impact talent retention.

There was a 200% surge in UK employees searching for ‘work progression’ opportunities over the last year. Business leaders should focus on how they can support the career development of their workforce. There are lots of ways employers can promote career progression. This might include networking events, training courses and clear progression paths.

Micromanagement at work

Micromanagement is a term used to describe a management style which closely monitors employees. This can include supervision over completing tasks and tracking working hours. It can limit an employee’s feelings of independence to carry out their tasks at work and create a lack of trust between managers and employees.

Micromanagement can go beyond day-to-day tasks and impact how managers interact with their team members, set goals and motivate employees. All of which can negatively impact on mental health at work.

With a 100% increase in Google searches for ‘employee tracking systems’ in the last 12 months, it appears that micromanagement techniques are on the rise since remote working has become more prevalent.

Closely monitoring your team can have a negative impact on their wellbeing and your business in the long term. Studies have found micromanagement reduces employee morale, increases staff turnover and reduces productivity levels.

Lack of recognition and rewards

Workplace rewards and recognition can be a simple but effective form of acknowledgement of an employee’s behaviour or actions. They can be used as part of your management strategy to boost employee motivation and performance when implemented fairly.

A negative workplace culture, where there is a lack of recognition can be a strong contributing factor of burnout at work. Burnout is an occupational phenomenon, where employees feel overwhelmed or under pressure for a long period of time, leaving them feeling exhausted and negatively towards work. Being proactive with rewards and taking the time to regularly recognise your team can have a huge impact on employee wellbeing.

Financial incentives, access to health and wellbeing services and team activities are all examples of rewards. However, a reward doesn’t always need to be financial to be beneficial. It can be a simple thank you or sharing the news of an employee’s achievement throughout the wider team. This can provide an employee with the recognition they deserve and help to reinforce their behaviour. Along with encouraging other employees to strive for that same recognition.

To reap the wellbeing benefits of recognition, it is important that it happens regularly along with constructive feedback. This is especially important in a hybrid work setting, with team members and managers working remotely.

A report by CIPD has revealed the employee rewards and recognition in the workplace is quickly becoming a driving factor in employee satisfaction and retention. With spending on employee wellbeing set to increase our online resources can help support managers shape a healthy and happy team.

Limited access to health and wellbeing services

Health and wellbeing benefits encourage a positive working environment that can reduce work related illnesses such as stress. Businesses that support the wellbeing of their employees benefit from a healthy, happy and engaged workforce. Some employers may even find it helps to reduce absenteeism and lower staff turnover.

The pandemic has pushed employee health and wellbeing to the top of the agenda. Over the last year there has been a 50% increase in Google searches for ‘health and wellbeing in the workplace’. Employers need to place a greater focus on wellbeing policies. Asking employees for feedback on how they can support their health at work is the first step in creating a successful health and wellbeing strategy.

There are lots of ways employers can help keep their team fit and well. From medical and dental cover, access to mental health services, such as employee assistance programmes (EAP). To preventive healthcare such as employee health assessments or proactive wellbeing programmes, such as support for colleagues experiencing the menopause.

Negative workplace culture

A company’s working environment can have a huge impact on employee wellbeing, psychological safety and engagement. There are lots of factors that can lead to a negative working environment. These include a tense atmosphere, disagreements between colleagues, poor management and a lack of work-life balance. As a result, employees may not feel comfortable to be their true selves in the workplace, challenge the norm and share innovative ideas, or ask for help and support if they’re struggling.

Encouraging effective communication and team collaboration can help create a positive working environment. Team-building exercises, such as volunteering activities, regular catch-ups and workshops can also boost motivation and helping your team to get to know each other better.

With a 30% rise in Google searches for ‘workplace culture’ since April 2021, it is important businesses are reviewing their workplace culture. Working with all employees to implement actions to create a positive working environment for everyone.