Employee retention is the ability to prevent employee turnover or the number of people leaving their job. When it comes to businesses, big or small, it is crucial that employee retention remains at a manageable level. The more employees that leave an organisation, the less productive the team can be due to disruptions and time lost from hiring and training a new employee. So how can employee retention be managed?
A great way is to use an office for part of your working week. This does not mean you need to operate full-time in an office, as many workers now use a flexible approach. However, offices can be a good way to improve employee retention and keep your business operating at its best. Read on to learn how offices can further benefit employee retention:
Establishes A Good Work-Life Balance
By having an established work location away from home, it can set out necessary boundaries for employees’ work-life balance. This is one of the main benefits of an office as a healthy work-life balance is essential to job satisfaction for many people and why companies always need to find an office to rent, no matter what they do. An office provides a dedicated workspace that can be used when needed and left at the end of the day for employees to relax at home. Maintaining the balance is key for employee retention.
Provides Opportunities For Collaboration
The shift to flexible and remote working has highlighted the importance of workplace communication and collaboration. When working from home, there are naturally fewer opportunities to engage with colleagues and bounce ideas off each other like there are in office environments. Particularly if you work in teams or on large-scale projects, it can be crucial that employees feel comfortable enough to approach each other and communicate effectively. Office spaces are designed for teams to work cohesively, which in turn can correlate to increased job satisfaction through the working relationships that are formed and the skills gained. Employee retention can therefore be managed through team collaborations.
Offers Flexibility
Much like the benefit of a good work-life balance, offices provide flexibility to employees about where they work. Some people do not operate well with working from home full time as they can lack the motivation to be productive. Having an office, even for a few days a week, offers employees the chance to work wherever they feel best. This can improve an employee’s view of the company, creating a flexible approach to work, and minimising the likelihood of resignations.
Scope For Quicker Development
What’s more, when a company is based in an office, there are often more opportunities for employee development through the business, as their work is monitored at a closer level. If an employee goes above and beyond in their current position, it is more likely their employer or manager will take note of it when working in an office environment due to the proximity of employees. Therefore, it can provide a higher level of incentive to promote workers or offer other added benefits in response to their hard work. The more respected and fulfilled an employee feels in their job, the more they are likely to stay where they are.
Provides Any Necessary Equipment
Unlike office-based employees, remote workers are required to establish a dedicated workspace in their homes. This can cost time and money, and might not work for employees even if the space is fully equipped due to noisy neighbours or temperamental Wi-Fi. By having an office, you can save money on equipment as everyone will be in the same place. For example, if you print a lot of resources in your work, it would be costly to provide every employee with a printer at home. Instead, you can have one printer in the office that is used by the whole team.
Similarly, if your business requires the use of technical equipment or confidential documents, it could be a breach of data security for employees to take anything home. An office space can therefore come with any equipment you might need, providing employees with the opportunity to use high-end technology without costing more than necessary.
Do Offices Improve Employee Retention?
As a result, we can see that offices can improve employee retention by encouraging socialisation, communication, flexibility, and other important benefits that largely correlate to job satisfaction. If an office in London is therefore something you’d be interested in, feel free to contact us at Desk London where we’re more than happy to find an office space that works for your business and team.
