TOP COMPANIES who have embraced workforce planning to reduce staffing pains have seen improvements in retention, employee performance and skills availability.
TOP COMPANIES who have embraced workforce planning to reduce staffing pains have seen improvements in retention, employee performance and skills availability. A recent USstudy found that organisations are placing greater emphasis on future workforce planning initiatives to improve their ability to recruit and to retain the talent they anticipate will be needed in the short-term and long-term future. The organisations that are being aggressive at identifying emerging job roles and missions, at implementing career acceleration and leadership development programs, have seen increases in:
Employee performance 27%
Employee retention 31%
Workforce capacity utilisation 31%
Source: Aberdeen Group
Workplace flexibility linked to low staff turnover
WORKPLACE FLEXIBILITY has been linked to a low staff turnover of 10 per cent and less in some Australian organisations. A recent survey of Australian companies revealed flexible work practices to be the most popular retention strategy among companies surveyed with this low staff turnover. Between 64 to 75 per cent of employers in such organisations across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaideand Perth had consciously provided flexible working conditions to moderate the mobility of staff.
Source: Aquent
Leadership more important than salary
HIGH SALARY earners want “in-depth” information about the companies they are considering joining and say they put the calibre of the leadership team at a prospective employer above salary. Employer reputation, calibre of colleagues and opportunity to do a different role were also rated as very important.
Source: Six Figures
Employees to face salary rise freeze
CLOSE TO 90 per cent of Australian employees say their organisation’s performance impacts on whether they will receive a January pay increase. Many fear New Year salary freezes, especially in those organisations who have a standardised across the board pay rise policy, according to a recent survey. Forty-nine per cent of respondents say that individuals in their company are dealt with on a case-by-case basis and individual performance will be a crucial factor when it comes to doling out a more meagre salary increase pool.
Source: Talent2
IT skills shortage a big concern
ALMOST EIGHTY per cent of companies describe the adverse effect on their business caused by a lack of IT professionals as moderate to severe. A survey of more than 440 senior IT decision-makers and hiring managers in a range of leading organisations revealed that 42 per cent of respondents cite the lack of experience among the current IT workforce as the driver behind the shortage of qualified IT talent. This was followed by the unpreparedness of new IT staff to meet the business’s needs and the organisation’s lack of ability to train and develop staff.
Source: Kelly Services
Work-life balance on the up
A RECENT survey of 1134 senior executives revealed a significant increase in the number of employers offering work-life balance programs – from 8 per cent in 2006 to 25 per cent today. Perhaps as a result, the number of senior executives who feel their work-life balance has improved in the last five years has also risen – from 35 per cent of respondents in 2006 to 40 per cent today. Furthermore, 40 per cent of senior executives said their work-life balance has improved in the last five years, compared with 35 per cent in 2006, and 54 per cent stated that their work hours have increased in the last 5 years, down from 59 per cent in 2006.
Source: AESC
Work-life balance key to staffing
WORK-LIFE balance is the key factor in attracting and retaining staff and is even more important than salary. According to recent research, with unemployment in Australia at record lows and skills shortages creating a ‘war on talent”, employees are demanding the implementation of successful work-life balance strategies from their employers.
Source: Converge International
Hayfever costing billions
ONE IN two of the 5.8 million Australian sufferers of hayfever report difficulty in concentrating and one in four (26 per cent) note that they have had to take time off work due to the severity of their symptoms. A recent study found a further one in five (22 per cent) said that they have had to skip a meeting in the workplace. The financial cost of allergies to Australia in 2007 was $7.8 billion, so in light of recent reports around job security, employee retention and effectiveness, employers are being called on by pharmacy experts to ensure that their staff are adequately managing seasonal illnesses such as hayfever.
Source: Telfast
Easy to discriminate in job ads
HALF of job advertisements analysed in a recent survey were found to be in breach of anti discrimination laws. When presented with a choice of alternative language to be used in a recruitment advertisement, 48 per cent of respondents were unable to correctly identify the offending material. Surprisingly, of those that answered incorrectly, 22 per cent were HR professionals. Three phrases that could be deemed discriminatory and which respondents failed to notice were:
Saleswoman 42%
Office junior 48%
Six years’ experience 52%
Source: Kelly Services
