Staff retention is a complex area. It’s never as simple as just saying ‘do x and more of your staff will stay.’
Money plays a part. It would be naïve to suggest it doesn’t. But how much of an effect and for how long? And if money doesn’t work on it’s own, what else will you need to do?
According to a recent story on the BBC website, one local authority is considering retention payments to encourage social workers to stay in the sector. It will be interesting to see how much impact this has.
For care providers this could raise the question of whether, even if they were able to, offering care staff more money would encourage more of them to stay. If cash isn’t the answer, what is?
It’s worth remembering that people rarely join the care sector for the money. The current Government-funded recruitment drive focuses on how care staff make a difference to people’s lives above any other consideration.
If all care workers had a 10% pay rise right now would it make a long-term difference to staff retention? The reality is that with the current funding settlement for local authorities this question won’t arise in practice.
Supporting Your Team
If you take money out of the equation, what encourages staff to stay with an employer is feeling supported (particularly in the difficult times we are living through) and the opportunity to become better at what they do.
Difficult as it might seem in the present circumstances, the most effective way for care providers to hang on to more of their staff may well be to revisit training and development plans.
This will involve looking beyond the obligation to ‘police’ the most basic level training. Instead creating the right culture so that staff can consider their own career development and improve job satisfaction. With the added flexibility of distance and e-learning there are many opportunities to deliver personal development conveniently and cost-effectively.
Book a free consultation to find out how effective training and development plans can move beyond the limitations of obligation and make a positive contribution to staff retention.
For more information call us on 01823 332200 or take a look at our resource centre.
