Working from home
In the last year and a half, millions of employees from multiple sectors around the world have joined a mass exodus from the workplace. Many have tried explaining the mass exodus, but reports indicate it may be due to inadequate salaries, limited career advancement, poor work-life balances, general unhappiness with management or the company and numerous other reasons.
This so-called Great Resignation, spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, has turned employment into a worker’s market. TikTok users have coined phrases such as “quiet quitting” and “act your wage” as employees find community with others who don’t feel properly valued or appreciated by their workplaces.
As employees decide what’s right for them, employers are having to reconsider what actually makes their company worth working for. If you feel like your business may be at risk of losing top talent, or you have already begun losing your best workers to the Great Resignation, it is probably time to consider some employee retention strategies.
Here is the second of 15 proven strategies to boost employee job satisfaction and help you hold on to your best workers.
Let your employees work from home where possible.
According to Upwork’s “Future of Workforce Pulse Report,” 36.2 million Americans will be working remotely in 2025—an increase of nearly 90% since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Remote work isn’t just convenient to reduce the spread of disease but has been shown to make employees happier and more productive at work. With modern technology, working entirely or even partially from home is possible in a vast array of industries and roles.
While more research needs to be done on the long-term effects of remote work, Upwork’s report shows positive effects of work-from-home include a reduction of nonessential meetings, increased schedule flexibility, commute elimination, fewer distractions, and greater autonomy.
When your employees do not have to spend time sitting in traffic, stressing about childcare, or losing productivity due to scheduling issues or lengthy meetings, they will be more productive and happier.
Remote work will not likely be a permanent solution for many businesses, and more and more employees return to offices each month, but offering flexible work-from-home options may be an incentive to keep the best employees with your company for the long run.
Making this part of your employee engagement strategy will show your employees you value their wellbeing, and this should help with your staff retention.
Tony Delaney, CEO Brownie Points
