HR and Recruitment

7 Ways To Successfully Reduce Employee Turnover

MOMENTUM Business Support Business Support, HR and Recruitment
A person in an office packing their things into a cardboard box

High employee turnover rates can be detrimental to any business – large or small. Not only does it mean a loss in productivity, it can also lead to a decrease in morale and an increase in expenses. The good news is that there are various things you can do to reduce staff turnover and keep your team happy and engaged. From creating a supportive and collaborative environment to promoting employee wellbeing, these tips will help you retain your team and keep your business growing.

Understand why employees are leaving

The first step is to identify the issue. When trying to pinpoint why employee turnover is high, regular feedback and surveys can be useful. Make sure you’re asking questions that will help you understand the underlying problems that are causing employees to leave. Is there a lack of job satisfaction? Is there too much pressure or are there not enough opportunities for growth and development? Maybe the way you communicate or manage employees could use some improvement. Get to the root of the problem and make necessary changes to ensure employees are set up for success. 

Craft a recruiting strategy that attracts the right talent

The next step is crafting a recruitment strategy that will attract the right talent. What are the attributes, skills, and values that you want in an ideal employee? Once you’ve identified what you want, make sure your job description is clear and the benefits you provide are competitive. Be sure to reach out to the right people and organisations. Networking and attending recruitment events can be a great way to scout new talent, while word of mouth can be one of the most efficient ways to find a reliable team. Don’t forget to ask your existing employees to refer their contacts or others they know, who may be a good fit.

Improve communication and feedback

Effective communication and good feedback is key. Make sure your team has access to the information and tools they need to do their best work. Keep the lines of communication open and ensure all feedback is consistent and two-way. Regularly check-in with all employees and be constructive, this can help increase morale and encourage employees to feel appreciated. It will also help your team to feel more connected to the company and give them the opportunity to express any concerns or offer solutions.

Encourage professional development

Providing employees with the chance to grow and develop is a great way to ensure the longevity of your team. Invest in your employees and provide them with the opportunities and resources to take their career to the next level. Consider providing in-house classes/training or outside seminars and conferences they can learn from. Most importantly, be understanding and let your employees learn from their mistakes.

Nurture a positive workplace environment

Make sure your company culture is one that is well respected and attracts employees who can genuinely contribute and create a positive environment. Recognize and celebrate employees’ successes, honour their work, and provide social opportunities for staff to interact. While these things may feel small, they can go a long way in making employees feel valued – ultimately decreasing unnecessary turnover.

Be flexible

Flexible working hours and flexible vacation policies give employees the chance to create their own work-life balance, which can lead to increased productivity and employee satisfaction. Offering work from home or remote work options can also be beneficial as it can reduce stress and save employees time and money. It may be helpful to conduct surveys or studies to learn what type of flexibility works best for your employees and take the necessary steps to implement it.

Be transparent about targets and expectations

Finally, be transparent from the get-go. Employees should have a clear understanding of how their performance is evaluated as well as their roles and responsibilities. Provide detailed performance metrics and use them to benchmark success. Keep your team updated on company goals and strategies. Regularly solicit feedback and use it to identify where small changes can be made to make employees’ jobs easier or more enjoyable.

Reducing employee turnover is no easy task. It requires time, focus, and commitment on the part of the management team. If you’d like to find out more about reducing your employee turnover or require any additional business support, we’d love to help! Get in touch:

T: 01903 688789 E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com

Share The Small Business Love: The Gift Of Outsourcing

MOMENTUM Business Support Administration, Business Support, Digital Marketing, Finance, HR and Recruitment, PA, Project Management, Research, Social Media
Three fanned out gift certificates on a blue background

Time is a precious commodity – especially for small business owners and entrepreneurs. So, if you know an SME that is constantly struggling to find enough hours in the day, why not show your love by gifting them the ultimate luxury – time. A gift certificate for our outsourcing services could be the perfect solution for the busy business owner in your life. It is a practical, time-saving, and problem-solving gift that will be truly appreciated.

So, if you are looking for a unique Valentine’s Day (or any other special occasion) gift that’s straight from the heart, look no further!

Why Outsourcing?

The concept of outsourcing has been around for centuries, after all why invest valuable time into tedious tasks when your expertise could be better spent elsewhere? Outsourcing is a highly efficient, cost-effective way to grow any business. It helps SMEs free up valuable time and resources to focus on core competencies. The ‘gift of time’ is a great way to share the small business love while providing the lucky recipient with a break from the hectic grind of running a business. They’ll be able to enjoy the freedom that comes with delegating and make space for more important things, without having to worry about the costs. It’s the ultimate, strategy to accelerate business growth.

What Services Can You Outsource?

The gift certificate can be redeemed against any service provided by MOMENTUM Business Support Ltd, and covers many aspects of both core and niche business operations. Some of our most popular services include bookkeeping, HR, digital marketing, and administration support – each tailored to suit the recipients needs and requirements.

Whether it’s a gift for someone special, a business or not for profit you admire, or perhaps a treat for yourself – we can agree that we could all use a few extra hours in the day. Available to purchase at any value, our certificates are the perfect way to begin an outsourcing journey.

For more information about purchasing or redeeming a gift certificate, get in touch today! Our experienced, fully trained team would be delighted to talk you through the process, offer their specialised back-office support or answer any quires that you or your gift recipient may have:

T: 01903 688789 E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com

Passing The Baton – 45 Tasks You Could Outsource

MOMENTUM Business Support Admin, Administration, Business Support, Digital Marketing, Event Management, Finance, HR and Recruitment, PA, Project Management, Research
Hands typing on the keyboard of a white laptop

When you pass tasks that you are finding time consuming on to your virtual assistant, it leaves time and space for your company to grow. Your focus can return to what you do best – running your business. You may not have been aware of the incredible number of tasks that you could outsource, so here are just some of them that we offer to give you an idea…

VOICEMAIL CHECKING – Does your phone get full of voicemails? We can keep you up to date.

APPOINTMENT MAKING – Conducting calls to existing and prospective clients to make appointments.

DIARY MANAGEMENT – Keeping you and your diary up to date.

EMAIL MANAGEMENT – Sorting, cleansing and replying on your behalf.

DATA INPUTTING – We can help you keep your business records up to date and accurate.

SERVER AND ONLINE FILING – It’s easy for your server and online files to get out of hand. We can make sure that they stay clear and consistent throughout.

PREPARE TRAINING MATERIALS – Running training events or meetings can be time consuming with the amount you have to prepare. Whether that’s PowerPoint presentations or questionnaires, we can help.

COMPILING MEETING MINUTES – Attending meetings can take huge chunks of time out of your day, so the last thing you want to be doing is compiling meeting minutes, which can take up even more of your time. We can compile meeting minutes for you.

LEGAL FORM COMPLETION – We can take the process of completing necessary legal forms away from you by taking care of this remotely. One less thing for you to worry about.

FORM CREATION – Forms can be useful tools to gather information. We can help create these for you.

PREPARING PRESENTATIONS – Preparing an engaging, well laid out presentation can take time. Our malicious attention to detail and keen eye for design can take care of this for you.

DATABASE CLEANSING – Keep your database free of irrelevant documents with our database cleansing service.

EXCEL DATABASE CREATION – We love a good spreadsheet! If you need one created, look no further than MOMENTUM.

REPORT CREATION – Need daily, weekly or monthly reports but don’t have the time in your day to create them? Pass the task on to us.

 DOCUMENT CREATION – Need a specific type of document created, but not sure how to do it, or simply don’t have the time? Let us help you out.

ONLINE RESEARCH – Collecting data via the internet.

CUSTOMER RESEARCH – Gathering information about your customers’ needs and preferences.

KEYWORD RESEARCH – Research into keywords that people enter into search engines relating to your business.

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS – An assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and potential competitors. 

TWITTER SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT – We are experts in the ‘twittersphere’. We’ll help you stay connected sharing relevant, frequent and direct messages to your followers. We help clients in a number of industries reach their target market in 280 characters or less!

FACEBOOK SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT – Our skilful social media gurus can help you gain organic page likes on this popular social networking site, making sure details of your offerings and expertise reach prospects and existing customers.

LINKEDIN SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT – We can help you reach even more businesses and contacts. Let us start building your business presence on LinkedIn by creating your Company Page, attracting followers, and posting regular updates to drive engagement.

PINTEREST SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGEMENT – Pinterest is a great social network for sharing details of your images and videos – including links, making this the perfect platform for us to promote and visualise your products and services.

BLOG CREATION – Helping you to get regular messages and insightful content to your online audiences.

PROOF READING – We can read over everything you’ve written, checking for errors and ensuring your grammar and tone are consistent.

COPYWRITING – If you’re creating or updating a website, we can help by creating bespoke keyword focussed copy.

EMAIL CAMPAIGNS – Targeted messaging, monthly updates, one off communication and much more.

SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMISATION – We can help you to achieve high ranking search results.

CONTACT DATA – Turning your business cards and other contacts lists into functional databases.

NEWSLETTERS – Regular digital communications providing key updates and marketing opportunities.

BUSINESS LISTINGS – Getting your business noticed and supporting your SEO strategy.


CREDIT CONTROL – Building relationships with your customers to improve your cashflow.

REDUNDANCY AND TUPE – We can provide specialist employer advice on making employees redundant, dealing with business transfers, or changes to service provisions within your business.

DISCIPLINARY AND GRIEVANCE – We can support you with developing a disciplinary or grievance procedure, or to provide advice and support when managing an employee disciplinary or grievance case.

CHANGE MANAGEMENT – We can support you throughout your organisational changes to allow you to focus on your day to day business.

PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT – We can provide you with specialist advice or training on managing performance, and we can support you with developing an effective performance appraisal system.

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION – We can help you with writing job specifications, job descriptions, recruitment selection frameworks and support you through the selection procedure. We can provide job offer paperwork and contracts of employment, and even support you on your induction procedure.

CONTRACTS AND EMPLOYEE HANDBOOKS – We can review your existing contracts, policies and procedures to ensure they are up to date with current legislation requirements. We can also tailor our templated frameworks and policies to suit and protect your business.

HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICIES – We can review your existing policies and procedure to ensure they are up to date with current legislation. We can also tailor our templated frameworks and policies to suit and protect your business.

INVOICE CREATION – Creating and generating your invoices for your customers and clients.

SENDING INVOICES – Ensuring your invoices are sent regularly and on time.

CASHFLOW FORECASTING – Ongoing predictions based on historical data.

 PROJECT MANAGEMENT – Planning, organising, staffing, leading or directing and controlling your project.

 PROJECT SUPPORT – Assisting with any aspect of your projects, and supporting managers.

 EVENT MANAGEMENT – Contacting and liaising with suppliers, gathering information needed for the events and finding the best prices. Planning, organising and managing your events – what, when, where, how, who. Researching venues and suppliers, finding the best venues and suppliers to fit with your event and budget.

We pride ourselves on adding value to every single task that we undertake. Whether you need your admin organised and taken off your hands, a virtual PA to keep you and your business on track or more substantial support with your HR, projects or events, we are here to make sure you can make it happen..

E: makeithappen@mbsmih.com  /  T: 01903 688789.

Health and Safety for SMEs – What you need to know!

MOMENTUM Business Support HR and Recruitment
An astronaut in space using specialised equipment

Did you know that if you run a business and have five or more employees you are legally required to have a written health and safety policy?

If you are a business owner, here’s the low down on what you need to know …

Preparing a health and safety policy needs to be in three parts

  • A statement of intent from the business demonstrating its commitment to health and safety.
  • Health and safety responsibilities for both the employer and employees.
  • Health and safety arrangements which detail how you protect your employees and others. This includes; information about fire and emergency, first aid arrangements, accident reporting, work activities, welfare arrangements.

Managing the risks in your business

  • A written general risk assessment is another legal requirement if you have five or more employees.
  • The risk assessment needs to identify the risks in your business, who might be harmed and how you control those risks. The findings need to be recorded and reviewed at least annually.
  • Some risks will need to be assessed in greater detail and will therefore need a specific assessment, for example; working with display screen equipment (PCs, laptops etc.), working at height, manual handling (lifting and carrying), running events, handling chemicals, homeworking.

Consulting with your employees

  • Businesses need to make sure they consult with all employees. This needs to include talking and listening about their work activities and the risks involved and providing them with information and training about working safely.
  • Consultation can either be directly with each employee (for a small business) or, via a health and safety representative in larger business.

Information and training

  • Everyone who works for you needs to know how to work safely. They need to have the necessary information and adequate training to complete the tasks.  For example, if one of the tasks is lifting and carrying, employees need to know how it should be done safely and without risk, to prevent injury and ill health.
  • Employees also need to have access to the health and safety law poster or pocket card which outlines health and safety laws and relevant contact details.

Getting it right

  • A business owner needs to appoint someone competent to help meet the necessary health and safety duties. Competency includes skills, knowledge and experience to manage health and safety.  If you are not confident to manage all the requirements in-house you may need some external help or advice.

 

If you would like further information about how to manage health and safety in your business please call 01903 688789 or email makeithappen@mbsmih.com and we’d be happy to help.

2016-17 Changes to the UK National Minimum Wage

MOMENTUM Business Support HR and Recruitment
A man in a suit reading a newspaper with the words Business displayed on the cover page

As of 1 October 2016 the UK Government has accepted and implemented the Low Pay Commission’s recommendation to increase the national minimum wage for those aged 24 and under, for 2016-17.

The new per hour rates will be as follows:

Ages 21 – 24 will now receive £6.95 (from £6.70)

Ages 18 – 20 will now receive £5.55 (from £5.30)

Ages 16 – 17 will now receive £4.00 (from £3.87)

Apprentices will now receive £3.40 (from £3.30)

There are currently no plans to change the National Living Wage for those aged 25 and over, which will remain the same (at £7.20) until April 2017.

You must ensure you comply with these rates fully.

If you’d like additional advice or support, please call us 01903 688789 or send us an email makeithappen@mbsmih.com.