New Year, new ways to work! Opportunities 2023?

One of the best things about the New Financial year is that mid-year you can reset!

So now you are likely back from a mid-year break? Time to make 2023 powerful for you and your team. Finding and keeping talent is one of the top 10 challenges facing businesses today (Banking and Financial Review 2022).

Our surveys are not showing “the great resignation”, but in fact Australians are loyal to the company that supported them through the pandemic. Sea changes can still happen, as hybrid ways of working are now acceptable.

The biggest challenge that we are seeing today is staff motivation – with the challenge of managing staffing rosters, absenteesim and maximising full scale operations.

The cost of presenteeism and absenteeism in Australia in 2016 was $6.3 billion per year1 whereas now in 2022, this has risen to $32.5 Billion a year 2.

So what are ways to build a productive team in the New Financial Year?

Keep people focused on their immediate tasks.

Encourage people to focus on the present tasks at hand – show clear pathways forward and let your team focus on smart steps ahead. Regularly recognise the small steps! When people are “in the zone” anxiety reduces and creativity goes up, thus improving team motivation!

Let people feel supported and heard.

Encouraging all ideas and contributions from employees. Encourage “a yes culture”, embracing all ideas. For example at Amazon, if you say no to an idea you have to create a paper to explain why it won’t work.

Get to know your whole employee

Agree and share a few of their goals both within the workplace and at a personal level. Know their drivers – is it career challenge, a career pathway, workplace offerings and/or a good salary & incentive program to kick their financial goals?

Find them a mentor

Gallup Surveys show that employees are 83% more engaged if they feel someone in their company ” has their back”. Mentors can give unbiased support and inspiration, with no agendas.

Imagine your workplace where employees are energised and 5 times more productive?

So think about how you will recruit for the New Financial Year, “finding doers not moers!”

 

References
1 Safe Work Australia report
2 Bodycare Workplace Solutions 2022