According to Investopedia.com, it takes 6.2 months to train an employee to a breakeven point. How much more valuable does that make your current long-term employees?
Now more than ever, jobs are plentiful. If you don’t recognize that your company’s biggest asset drives out of the parking lot every night, you risk replacing key employees in the future. This not only sets other team members behind and lowers productivity, but company morale also takes a hit. If any of these five policies exist in your organization, don’t be surprised if letters of resignation start rolling in.
Death Certificates for Bereavement Leave: While companies can request a death certificate to approve bereavement leave, doing so adds more pain and suffering during a difficult situation. It also highlights the fact that you have a deep mistrust in your employee. When an employee’s family member dies, it’s in everyone’s best interests to offer the employee support, understanding, and empathy. Human resources representatives and managers that don’t fully trust their employees shouldn’t be tasked with hiring.
Overzealous Dress Code Policies: There’s nothing wrong with having guidelines about employee appearance to ensure brand consistency and encourage appropriate work attire. However, getting as petty as the number of ear piercings, visibility of tattoos, and facial hair regulations can quickly chase off solid employees. Even if you require dress clothes on most days, it can be a breath of fresh air to host casual Fridays. Blue jean Saturdays with a minimal donation to a local cause can also have positive impacts on employee morale and community support.
Restrictions on How Long Someone Must Work for The Company Before a Promotion: Some employees are so eager to get their foot into a good company that they will take a job that’s below their capabilities. Keeping an employee in this role for a stipulated amount of time can be a waste of company resources. It also encourages them to keep their eye out for their desired position at another company. This leaves you, yet again, hiring and training someone new.
Locking Down the Internet: From a legal standpoint, your company has the right to decide which websites your employees have access to. However, an overly zealous policy can have catastrophic impacts to morale. Do you want your employees surfing Facebook for hours on end? Of course not! However, can Facebook be a way for your employees to like and share company posts expanding their reach? Absolutely! An internet connection that’s too heavily restricted also means employees can’t utilize popular websites on their breaks. It can also make it difficult to conduct online research.
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