How to attract and retain staff. I am asked by many clients how do I attract and retain staff.

One of the first questions I ask is, “Do you have a culture statement?”.

A culture statement lists the points that you believe in, and are important for employees to “buy into” if they are going to be a part of your company. It can cover many different areas, for example, one client considered it necessary to highlight that harmful gossiping was not considered appropriate and employees should encourage supportive behaviour towards one another.

Another client included in their culture statement that employees should be expected to attend client and company parties/social events at all times

I encourage my clients to discuss the culture statement with prospective new employees as it gives them the opportunity to see if they are aligned to your company culture before they join.

There are lots of other ways of retaining employees and here are a few examples that I hope you find helpful:

• Share your company’s vision statement with all your staff
• Have regular career development reviews
• Have staff meetings and give them them the opportunity to contribute to matters concerning the company. You may well be surprised at how many good suggestions come from staff to improve the performance of your company!
• Consider holding social events on a regular basis – maybe even a team building outing!!
• Some clients offer clear bonus schemes to provide incentives for increased sales
• Days off on birthdays?
• Flexible hours
• Team takeaways at lunchtime
• A suggestion box

It is always important before you take any action that you obtain professional advice. If you have any questions in respect of the above, then please do not hesitate to contact our tax experts by sending an email to kevin@kwaccounting.com