Attracting and retaining the right talent for your businesses

Sandra Porter is the author of How to be an HR superstar and is the Managing Director at The HR Dept Elmbridge, Kingston & Surbiton. In this guest blog, she discusses how to add and keep the best talent to drive growth within a small to medium-sized business.

Growing your business is filled with responsibilities and some risks. At the heart of every successful business lies a dedicated team of people who strive to create something that’s valued. Cultivating and nurturing your business starts with who you invite on your journey.

Finding the right people and looking after your workforce is indeed crucial for the long-term success of any business, and it goes hand in hand with fostering a positive work culture. A positive and proactive approach to managing your team is a key element to small business growth and success.

Attracting the right talent begins with a clear brand mission and a defined company culture. Candidates today are looking for more than just a job; they’re seeking places where they can grow, contribute meaningfully, and enjoy a healthy work-life balance. Offering competitive pay is essential, but it's not the only factor that matters and can easily be matched by your competitors.

Effective Strategies

A positive work culture is the cornerstone of your employee’s satisfaction, engagement, and willingness to give discretionary effort. It's about creating an environment where individuals feel valued, respected, and supported. This includes open communication, recognising and rewarding achievements, and promoting a sense of belonging within the organisation.

Developing effective people strategies also involves building skills across the business and identifying high-potential employees, providing them with opportunities to develop their expertise, and preparing them for leadership roles. This not only benefits the individual but also ensures a pipeline of talent for the future. It's about investing in your people to help them - and help you - reach your full potential. If you don’t demonstrate that you are supporting their future career, they will move to an employer that does.

Even for the smallest businesses, having a well-designed approach to pay and reward can make a huge difference. Businesses who have a ‘whoever shouts the loudest’ approach to pay rises, can end up with a lot of noise. Having transparency regarding how and when pay is reviewed, how bonuses are managed and communication around investment in benefits are relatively simple steps, but provide a much greater return on investment for employment costs.

Engaged Employees

Aiming to create ’happy employees’ can sometimes be misconstrued as a ‘pink and fluffy’ initiative, but don’t be fooled. Prioritising employee engagement is a key driver for sustained business success. Engaged employees work harder, are more creative and can be your greatest ambassadors. Unhappy employees often work to a minimum, take as much as they can and are more likely to raise disputes. An integrated people plan that proactively engages employees can demonstrate a significantly higher return on investment than most marketing initiatives.

There are different tools to help you prioritise looking after your team and demonstrating these initiatives attracts candidates who fit with your mission and culture. When employees are well aligned to your strategic initiatives and company culture the mission is carried everyday through every activity. It becomes the driving force behind innovation, exceptional customer experiences, and your business’ growth. With this in mind, the well-being of your employees and your business are more likely to thrive.

More information

For HR resources filled with tips, downloadable tools, expert interviews, real life case studies and step by step guides visit the How to be an HR Superstar website at www.hr-superstar.co.uk. If you require any support with developing a people plan to support your business you can reach Sandra Porter at the HR Dept by emailing sandra.porter@hrdept.co.uk