5 ways to retain field workers and reduce employee turnover

Field Service businesses may be hesitant to increase expenses to retain employees, but the cost to hire new workers outweighs the cost to retain them. Poor employee retention can be expensive in other ways, too - it can negatively affect staff morale, decreasing your team's willingness to work, affecting productivity and, therefore, your bottom line. Reducing employee turnover is cost-effective in the long run, and there are simple measures you can put in place to retain your field workers.

Offer competitive compensation and benefits

An employee's salary should not be viewed as an expense but a long-term investment. Competitive compensation will encourage employees to stay at the company, as they know their hard work will be rewarded. When an employee is underpaid, they'll take their skills to another company. When hiring new employees, research the average salary for similar roles and compare your offer with competitors in the industry. If you can't increase salaries for current employees, offer additional benefits like cash bonuses, extra paid leave, or gift cards to show them you appreciate their hard work.  

Set clear expectations and goals for employees
 

When employees' roles and responsibilities are unclear, they can become frustrated, leading to low job satisfaction and demotivation. If you set realistic expectations and communicate these with your team, they'll feel motivated and more engaged with their work. When setting goals for employees, make sure they're clear, measurable, and challenging yet realistic, so they're encouraged to achieve them. Work with your employees to set these goals, so they're invested in your vision for them. Hold them accountable with regular reviews and share feedback to keep them on track to meet their goals in time.
 

Provide opportunities for growth

Employees looking for a challenge will find little reason to work for a company that isn't interested in partnering with them to develop their skills. A business with opportunities for skills development and growth is enticing for employees. Make time for training sessions, whether you decide to implement an internal mentoring program or send workers to external training centres. You may be anxious to invest in workers when they could leave your company. However, if you give them the chance to learn new skills and apply for positions in the company, they'll be encouraged to stay and build a career.

Promote a healthy work-life balance

As stress levels in the workplace rise, a healthy work-life balance is becoming more and more important for workers. Stress at work costs South African businesses R40 billion every year[TB1], and one of the significant causes of workplace stress is a poor work-life balance. Promoting a healthy work-life balance can reduce stress and save you money. It also shows your workers that their well-being is important to you and your supervisors, and they'll feel valued. When workers feel valued, they'll be committed to the company.

Support your team with Staff Management Software

When projects are well planned, realistic deadlines set, and everyone in your team knows what tasks they need to work on, your employees will feel supported. Staff Management Software can be used to achieve this. With one platform for managing your team's schedule, you can view every job in progress and receive real-time updates from your technicians so you can offer help when needed. With access to the software on their Mobile Devices, your workers can view their schedules and share feedback with you even when they're working remotely.