This employee retention speaker and employee recruitment expert has always believed in having fun at work. I found it was a real challenge for leaders five years to get in the mindset of having fun. With the Covid-19 pandemic and a large portion of many organizations having people working at home, this employee retention author has seen fun virtually disappear from the workplace. There isn’t the interaction and the spontaneous joking around which used to take place. Now, many people are stuck in their home or apartment for 9+ hours a day, they often have little interaction with their co-workers so there is no opportunity to have fun. I’m a big Zoom user but find it’s not the same.
This employee retention expert has advocated bringing people back into the office not only because having everyone being separated harms the culture of the organization (fun is part of building culture) but from a mental health and a personal growth perspective. Face-to-face interaction is a skill that is built from the time people enter the workforce. With so many new employees entering the workforce as baby boomers retire, now is the time to start helping young people to learn the interpersonal skills they will need as leaders of the future. The other key thing is we don’t have as many “get-togethers” which build relationships and camaraderie. Camaraderie is fun!
As I talk to more and more people who work exclusively out of the home, it becomes evident that although it’s convenient and saves them commuting costs when I press them, they say they don’t have nearly the fun they used to at work. From an employee retention strategies standpoint, this is huge. People who don’t have fun at work are much more susceptible to thinking about quitting. Organizations can be setting themselves up to have a large segment of their workforce who are vulnerable to being recruited by other organizations because of this.
Fun has always been a part of the culture-building I advocated as an HR Leader. Let’s not lose sight of the value that fun can bring to your culture and your employee retention. That’s why I believe strongly we need an injection of fun!
Are you looking to reduce your employee turnover by 45-80%? Do you struggle with the mindset of a changing workforce? If so, email Jeff at jeff@humanassetmgt.com or check out his redesigned website at http://www.jeffkortes.com to find out how his customized programs and workshops can turn your organization into a high-performing retention magnet!
