Human Resources Department or HRD of any business enterprise knows how the increased stress and work pressure during the busy season may adversely affect the staff’s productivity of a firm.
Sometimes, out of sheer frustration due to amplified work pressure and constant vigilantism, many employees leave the organization instantly – that they should not have done otherwise. The new HR statistics reveal that 57% of the companies and organizations consider employee retention as a big issue all across the globe.
Accountants, sales staff, and administrative wing of a company suffer the maximum due to a sudden increase in the employees workload during the peak season when the general intensity of a company is to sell more and more.
It is something that is inevitable that once the busy season arrives, a company or any other organization has to be ready for it to work continuously around the clock without a break. However, prior management of critical HR issues before the arrival of a peak season is the finest way to move forward, and handle such challenges in the best possible manner.
1) Well-Planned Strategy:
As stated in the previous point, the selection of appropriate client is an ideal strategy to move ahead. Usually, bad clients create maximum problems during peak season. So, they should be addressed first.
Now, a company and its HR department have to entrust its employees with the responsibility of separating a list of prospective clients from the undecided customers. The Aberdeen Source claimed that the companies, which formalize employee engagement programs, have 26% higher annual revenue growth rate than those who do not.
Creating a list of perspective and positive clients during the peak season is a good idea. So, the staff should personally make a courtesy call and apprise them of the latest company offer.
2) Flexibility in Approach:
Business organizations are increasingly allowing their staff to use independent attitude during their work.
The staff members use their liberal attitude towards resolving a management crisis, which sometimes includes going against the owner’s wishes too.
The owner should also demonstrate helpful attitude during the busy season. Employees are the ones who have maximum stress in such days.
The employer should allow them for early checkout and family dinners during the weekend once or twice occasionally as a morale booster.
Ensuring work-life balance between the employees is a good way to keep their interest alive in the firm.
According to the US Economy Statistics, employee disengagement is a nagging experience in the firm. It costs more than 500-billion USD per annum to the nation’s economy eating away a lion’s share of the country’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product).
3) Working Hours and Schedule:
The standard working hour is 40-hours a week. However, a firm or a business organization should be little proactive in this regard.
During the demanding season, a firm can enhance the working hours to around 10 hours per day equating to around 50 hours a week, which is very reasonable considering the demand of time.
However, immediately following the busy season, an employer should be well prepared to grant long-holidays to its staff.
This will keep them refreshed and rejuvenated around the clock.
4) Free Meal and Grand Parties:
The employees are the bedrock of any organization. They work severely hard for the organization and want to acknowledge it by the employers from time to time.
An employer from his effort should try his best to keep the office environment calm, amicable and friendly.
A business owner in consultation with his HRD manager should take his staff on the weekend parties.
According to the Wynhurst Group Statistics, 22% of new employees leave their jobs within a month of being hired due to temperament and ego issues.
Therefore, an entrepreneur should try to maintain a good bonhomie with its staff in whichever way the same is possible.
If required, the business owner should never refrain from offering free meals in the form of luncheons and dinners at pleasant restaurants or food joints.
5) Comfortable Working Environment:
In their effort to keep things hyper-professional, business owner and HRD departments sometimes add undue non-work related tensions to the minds of the staff.
And surprisingly, if such tensions arise during the peak season, then it may seriously aggrieve the organization’s staff.
A comfortable working environment relates to comfy dresses, clothes, and slippers instead of shoes.
When employees come to the office in their home clothes, it gives them a greater amount of comfort while keeping them in a relaxed state of mind.
According to Quantum Workplace Survey, 20% of the employees do not have enough faith in their employers.
They feel that employers are best at pointing out their mistakes instead of offering constructive and regular feedbacks for the benefit of the firm and its staff as well.
Strengthening Employer-Employees Relationship: A Necessity
The first thing that affects a long-term prospect of a company or any other organization is an estranged relationship between the employees and employers.
Thus, it is essential for an entrepreneur to ensure proper bonhomie with his staff members thereby promoting a happy environment in the office.
The new US Statistics from its labor department has stated that thanks to the recent rise in good bonding between the employees and employers that today the payroll employment has increased by 261,000 in October bringing the unemployment rate down by 4.1%. It is certainly a welcoming indication for the nation as a whole.
Key Issues for Good Relationship between Employers and Staff
1) Loyalty:
Of course, higher the level of employee’s loyalty, lesser will be their chance of leaving the firm abruptly.
The HR department on its part should focus on retaining employee’s loyalty rather than coercing them to sign bonds or any other such documents to retain them for a certain specified period.
2) Conflict Reduction:
The conflict resolution and handling any official conflict at the earliest are the apt way to proceed ahead.
When such issues are blown out of proportion then it is likely to affect the company’s overall goodwill and credibility in the market.
Especially, during the peak season, when the company’s revenue generating capacity is the most with humongous sales round the clock, then both the parties, including the employers and employees will have to exercise utmost caution while addressing their mutual differences.
3) Long-Term Relationship:
From the employer’s and HR department’s point of view, retaining a long-lasting relationship with the ex-employees and senior staff sounds apt for the company.
Ex-employees are well versed in the company’s norms and requirement and no doubt; their productivity will be multiple times more than other employees will.
In small countries of Europe, the demand for ex-employees is on the rise.
A recent statistical study from Europe states that by 2020, the continent is looking forward to providing gainful employment to the people.
Their target includes people aging from 20 to 64. It includes both the newer as well as retired employees.
With improved employee engagement programs, the employees would be able to perform better in their duties.
During the busy season, the deadline for any work is short and an employee has to work faster.
Better employee engagement programs will let them perform to their full potential.