By Jason Warner
The media industry has a retention problem. While seemingly offering good pay, career progression and a creative working environment, companies are continually finding it difficult to keep staff. The answer is to go back to basics. This article explores practical steps companies can take to retain and nurture talent and build better businesses.
Richard Branson’s advice to “Take care of your employees, and they’ll take care of your business” seems to be falling on deaf ears in marketing and media. While 60% of young people see working in marketing as attractive, its inability to keep talent needs addressing if businesses want to ensure long-term sustainability.
Over half of HR professionals cite staff retention as their biggest challenge. And marketing scores the lowest of all sectors for retention (even less than notoriously transient hospitality), with a tenure 24% below the average.
Too often, there’s been a lot of finger-pointing. It’s the rise of quiet quitting that’s to blame, as staff no longer buy into company culture. Or stereotyping Gen Z as ‘lazy’ or ‘entitled’ (imagine how motivating that is!) while failing to address ageism, as expertise and experience are let go. But ultimately, these are excuses that don’t tackle the issue.
The good news is that it’s not simply about money. Indeed, only 13% of people leave their jobs because of this. What makes the difference is fostering a fairer, more caring and more supportive working environment where people feel connected. So, what can be done? Here are five ideas to help ensure people want to work for your business.
1. Put people first
People must be at the heart of everything you do. And this means deciding to put your team members first. So, forget about paying lip service to the importance of your employees and prove it by tapping into what they want.
Start recognising them as individuals. Here, it’s the little things that matter. Simply remembering a team member’s birthday can make a world of difference to them personally and show you’re a business that cares.
And never underestimate the power of in-person working. Yes, giving people control and flexibility through hybrid work is motivational, but so are personal connections. 70% of marketers state that in-person working makes them more productive, while 71% see it as a positive for their mental health. So, work hard to get the balance right, and you can improve productivity without burning your teams out.
2. Invest in mentoring..
This is so valuable, especially for younger employees, yet often overlooked. Having senior people spend time with junior team members is rewarding for your people. It helps them develop their skills and confidence and recognise opportunities. It’s also motivating, giving employees a good reason to remain with the company. If you can’t do this internally, look at what programmes are available outside your company, like those offered by Bloom, to support and develop female talent.
I know mentoring’s value firsthand, having been fortunate to work in an organisation where my boss believed in me. As well as encouraging me, he pushed me to achieve things I wouldn’t have on my own. This gave me the confidence to accept an opportunity to move to the UK from Canada, which has been life-changing, opening new experiences that have developed me as a person.
3. ..and invest in your managers
Shockingly, 82% of managers have had no management training. Yet, people want to work with and be inspired by good leaders. Make sure you’re supporting them in developing those critical skills that inspire people, such as communication, leadership, empathy, and listening. Doing this gives them a greater incentive to stay. Equally, it can overcome your retention issues because it’s poor managers who are driving one in two workers to quit their jobs.
4. Use data to drive decisions
Ensure you’re getting things right or addressing what’s not working by having the facts rather than relying on gut feel or hearsay. Then, you can make the correct decisions on what needs focus. Ironically, developing effective people-based strategies requires a data-driven approach.
Dive into the data to understand what’s causing issues and holding people back. Then, start correcting these by working with your managers to make changes that unblock pain points, ease pressures, and give people the means to do their jobs. This will support a better work/life balance for your teams and bring greater enjoyment to what they do.
5. Remember, technology is an enabler, not an inhibitor
Technology is part of the solution, but it’s not the total answer. When used well, it creates productive and connected teams with better experiences. What’s important is choosing your tech wisely and implementing it well. Get this wrong, and you’ll have an unhappy and disengaged workforce.
Despite the best intentions, poorly considered and implemented solutions lead to frustrations, complexity, and inefficiencies, which is demotivating for teams. But get it right, and they will prosper, and the business will benefit.
Take the time to determine what technology can deliver for your business and how it will benefit employees. Getting their buy-in and ensuring they understand how it will positively impact their work is critical. If they can see the upside, they’ll be supportive of it and accept the inevitable teething issues that come with introducing and learning new tools.
While we live in a technology-driven world that’s changing the nature of work, people remain critical in a media industry driven by ideas, creativity and inspiration. Making the effort so they feel engaged, listened to, supported and nurtured will create an environment they want to be part of. Many businesses don’t, and by doing so, you’ll gain a competitive advantage, resolve your retention issues, and build an effective, long-term, sustainable company.
Jason Warner
![iStock-1438575049 (1) [Converted]](https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/iStock-1438575049-1-Converted-100x70.jpg "“Does Everyone Hear Me OK?”: How to Lead Virtual Teams Effectively")
