GTP20: Attracting, training and retaining the right people
Prime Chartered Accountants
This blog post has been produced for the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce as part of the 2020 Growth Through People campaign.
Growth Through People is the Chamber’s annual campaign aiming to help local firms boost productivity and grow through improved leadership and people management skills. In 2020 this involves 8 free workshops taking place between 2nd March and 27th March, culminating in a full-day Growth Through People conference on 2nd April. In addition, throughout the campaign the Chambers will be publishing thought leadership podcasts, videos and blog content such as this.
Thanks to our Headline Sponsors – Prime Accountants Group, Aston University, Curium Solutions and CIPD - all workshops are free to attend. Interested readers can find out more and register to attend Growth Through People workshops here, and the Growth Through People conference here.
We speak to many local businesses and among all the uncertainty which has challenged business owners over the last few years, staffing remains one of the biggest obstacles to growing a business.
Staff are the lifeblood of any organisation and business owners have to put a lot of faith in their team to deliver a first-class service to clients, represent the business professionally and make a positive contribution to the office environment.
As companies recognise that their team are the most important part of their organisation, we have seen business owners having to accommodate changes to their normal working practices to make their organisation more attractive to potential and existing staff.
New ideas and initiatives are developing the concept of the “normal working environment” and organisations that are adopting changes are keeping staff happier in their roles, more motivated in their work, resulting in an increased likelihood that they will stay with the company.
Our team work for us and we believe the introduction of benefits such as flexible working and relaxed dress code, is giving something back to the team. Our benefits are what attracts employees to Prime - but it’s the employee experience that keeps them here.
At Prime we are extremely proud of the number of staff who have stayed with us for their whole career. This has only been possible by having a structured approach to developing employee’s skills and experience and by embracing an attitude of promoting from within. We have a defined careers pathway program that outlines the expectations and responsibilities of each level within the organisation. This transparent process allows the team to gauge where they currently sit and outlines the objectives they need to achieve in order to progress to the next level.
As an organisation, we encourage a culture of empowerment and trust and provide the right opportunities for staff to continually improve their experience and enhance their careers. Having members of staff progress internally is vital to our approach for staffing. They have embraced the firm, the culture and become our biggest advocates, both internally and externally.
Let your team take ownership of their projects and office environment. Create a culture of talking and listening to get their feedback and involve the team in the actions you take as a result. By listening and including staff in the development of the business, you will motivate the team to get involved and implementing their ideas will remove any desires to leave.
Fundamentally, embracing new working practices and trusting your team will make your business attractive to potentially employees. Building relationships with your team and providing a supportive environment to develop their careers will enhance their skills and your team as a whole. Creating a positive internal culture where staff feel listened to and valued will make them enjoy coming to work and will keep them coming back.
Morgan Davies
Director, Prime Chartered Accountants