Major Developments Major Developments by Calendar Year

December 27, 2010

Half of Irish Small Businesses Plan to freeze recruitment in the next 3 months

Filed under: Small Business — Tags: , , — Winson @ 8:32 AM

The Small Firms Association (SFA) has conducted and released the findings of its Q2, 2010 Jobs Sentiment Survey on a total of 622 companies employing 13,750 people. The sample constituted mainly of manufacturing, distribution, retail and services sectors and from a regionally representative sample, which included all parts of Irish Republic.

The survey states that, during the last 3 months, 60% of companies have maintained current levels of employee numbers, but 29% of companies had experienced a decrease in employee numbers in the same period. Just under a quarter (24%) of companies expect a further decrease in the next 3 months.

The Q2, 2010 survey shows for the next 3 months, 14% of companies indicated the introduction of short-time working (a decrease of 1% on Q1, 2010) and 7% implementing lay-offs (a decrease of 4% on Q1, 2010). With an increase in 3% from Q1, now 50% of small firms will implement a recruitment freeze in the next three months. And 24% of firms will not extend any current employment contracts; this figure remains unchanged since the end of 2009.

In regard to training, 37% of survey respondents indicated that in the next 3 months they will be training and improving the skil of the staff.

Small Firms Association’s director stated that many of the small businesses are reluctant to recruit mainly because of economic and financial uncertainty.

With three out of five companies are hoping employee numbers to stay at their current level and 19% of firms expecting to increase their employee numbers, and with regard to training, 37% of survey respondents indicated that in the next 3 months they will be training and improving the skill of the staff, 2011 looks much better than the current year.

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November 20, 2010

Employee Retention Techniques

Filed under: Business — Tags: — Winson @ 7:38 AM

Employees are a valuable asset to any organization. It is essential to protect this vital resource as talented and motivated employees play a crucial role in overall growth and success of the organization. Focusing on employee retention techniques can positively impact the organization as it increases employee productivity, performance, quality of work, profits, and reduces turnover and absenteeism. Effectively creating an engaging environment, recognizing good performance, giving benefits and rewards, promoting mutual respect are some of the ways for effective employee retention.

Increase Employee Engagement
Effectively implementing employee retention program by increasing employee engagement ensures that the employees are satisfied with their work, take pride in their work, report to duty on time, feel responsible for their job, feel valued for their contributions, and have high job satisfaction. As employees actively focus on their work, it increases the productivity levels in the organization and leads to improvement in several associated areas. Employee engagement ensures that the employees have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities in the organization. Increasing employee engagement helps to develop emotional connection, enthusiasm among the employees that promotes teamwork and healthy environment at the workplace.

Motivate Employees
Motivating employees by offering them better opportunities for career development can help in employee retention. Giving rewards, recognitions, promotions, and appreciation to employees can motivate them to increase their productivity, commitment to work, and loyalty to the organization. They feel that their contributions are valued in the organization. Giving incentives, pay hikes, bonuses can also help to motivate employees. Recognizing employee’s contributions and aspirations motivates employee to work productively and increases his confidence that helps in employee retention.

Focus On Team Building
Promoting team culture helps to actively involve all employees in achieving the goals and in overall success of the organization. Promoting team building imbibes a sense of belongingness among the employees that they are a part of larger goals or objectives of the organization. Team building promotes team work and team effort that help employees to tackle work pressure and thus provide a competitive advantage to organization. Focusing on team building activities can help to reduce workplace conflicts between team members as they work in a team. Organizing team building games, seminars, outdoor events help to promote team spirit, unity, and reduce stress.

Recognition of Performance
Recognition of performance of employees is an effective method of employee retention. Although monetary compensation can act as a motivating factor, openly recognizing the performance, initiative, and good work increases the morale and motivates the employee to work more productively. Appreciating the performance motivates the employee and they feel valuable within the organization. This helps in employee engagement and to increase the productivity levels.

Following effective employee retention techniques help to leverage the most valuable asset, the employees, to achieve growth of the company and increase the bottom line profits. Various employee retention techniques increase the employee productivity levels in the organization leading to reduction in cost per item or services produced.

Source: www.peopleconnectstaffing.com

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