1 / 27

Retention strategies – the holistic approach Ben Emmens HR Services Manager, People In Aid

Retention strategies – the holistic approach Ben Emmens HR Services Manager, People In Aid 7 February 2007, Geneva. Aim of this seminar. Explore key elements of a successful retention strategy Share practical ways of managing the consequences of staff turnover. Seminar overview.

jasper
Download Presentation

Retention strategies – the holistic approach Ben Emmens HR Services Manager, People In Aid

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Retention strategies – the holistic approach Ben Emmens HR Services Manager, People In Aid 7 February 2007, Geneva

  2. Aim of this seminar • Explore key elements of a successful retention strategy • Share practical ways of managing the consequences of staff turnover

  3. Seminar overview • Introductions • Nature of People In Aid’s research • Identifying the issues • Responding to the issues – People In Aid • Sharing practical / successful responses • Managing the consequences of ‘staff turnover’

  4. Introductions...

  5. Who are we ? People In Aid’s vision is of a world in which organisations work effectivelyto eradicate poverty and reduce suffering. • Not for profit, created by NGOs, for NGOs. • A global network of more than 100 agencies working in the international development and humanitarian relief sector. • We help organisations increase their impact through better people management.

  6. Some history... • 1994 - 95 “Room for Improvement” Research identifies need for a code… • 1995 - 97 People In Aid “inter-agency working group” • 1997 Code of Best Practice launched 12 Pilot agencies begin implementation • 1999 People In Aid established as ‘not for profit’ network • 2003 Revised Code of Good Practice launched • 2007 100+ members, 20+ countries, and growing…

  7. People In Aid - the organisation • Membership organisation • Members include World Vision, Oxfam, Save the Children, CRS, Plan International, Mercy Corps, IRC, Concern Worldwide, Tearfund, CAFOD, Christian Aid, British Red Cross, Islamic Relief... • Funding base • Institutional donors (eg DfID, DCI, ECHO) - approx. 50-60% • Membership fees / services - approx. 20-25%, • Grants / charitable trusts - approx. 20-25% • Governance by members • Global operations, London based • Responding to sector needs

  8. Nature of People In Aid’s research

  9. Our research with the Inter-Agency Working Group “The employee’s perspective” • Emergency Capacity Building project www.ecbproject.org • ECB 1 – Staff Capacity Initiative • A retention study • November 2005 – February 2006 – Qualitative research • 6 of the 7 IWG agencies participated • 175 questionnaires distributed, 111 top and senior managers interviewed, i.e. a 63% response rate • Good range of management posts represented, and good split in terms of gender and age

  10. Understanding retention

  11. Identifying the issues...

  12. For reflection, and then discussion • Is staff turnover an issue for my organisation? • Do we struggle to retain the staff we’d like to keep? • If so, where is the issue? i.e. which section / division / department / grade? • How long can we expect someone to stay? • Etc... • 2-3 minutes – personal reflection • 5 minutes – sharing in 2s or 3s • 5-10 minutes – feedback in plenary

  13. Responding to the issues...

  14. Environmental factors Health and social environment – security conditions and other local stress factors Organisational factors Deliberate policies of the agency, values and management of staff, poor support, inadequate terms and conditions of service Good HR practices Adequate terms and conditions of service, policies ensuring appropriate selection, management and development of staff Programme factors Project-based funding and job insecurity, pressure on overheads and under-investment in training Push factors Pull factors HR practices Job satisfaction Turnover Meaningful work Fit between individual and organisational values, motivational work and leadership Personal factors Workload, career concerns, burnout, disillusionment, desire to start a family External factors Better professional opportunities elsewhere in terms of salary, benefits or promotion Push factors, pull factors & retention strategies

  15. Why do people stay, and perform? • Presence of: • Good team / colleagues (32%) • Challenge / variety (24%) • Learning / innovative culture (23%) • Absence of: • Excessive workload (36%) • Excessive impact on personal / social life (29%) • Bureaucracy / poor systems (25%)

  16. Why do our staff leave? • Better pay / terms and conditions elsewhere (50%) • Poor leadership / values / culture (40%) • Lack of career opportunity and growth (38%) • Burnout, disillusionment and frustration (29%)

  17. How can we encourage staff to stay ? • Introduce / improve career paths and professional development (49%) • Better pay / terms and conditions, inc contracts, accompanied status (43%) • Better work-life balance / family friendly policies (24%) • Better leadership (14%)

  18. Towards a retention strategy

  19. A framework for action

  20. Well-being – a key issue • Between one third to one half of interviewees highlighted the issue of excessive workload and the consequent impact on health and personal life

  21. Sharing practical responses...

  22. For reflection, and then discussion Reflect on any : • Successful approaches to retention • Valuable experiences in improving retention Then ask yourself : • How effective have the measures or initiatives been? • What’s worked? Why? What’s still to do? • How do the responses fit under the 5 [process] areas? • 5 minutes – personal reflection • 15-20 minutes – small group discussions • 5-10 minutes – feedback in plenary

  23. Managing the consequences of staff turnover

  24. Useful strategies... • Using ICT to best effect, eg the office in a box • Rapid inductions • Learning and development on the job • Succession and continuity planning • Mechanisms to preserve institutional memory • Implementing the People In Aid Code • Employee engagement surveys, and follow up • And many more...

  25. Future priorities ? • People In Aid research over the last year or so has highlighted some of the major challenges facing the HR function : • Getting the basics right • Employee engagement • Building a culture of trust – living the values • Managing employee wellbeing (psychological, economic and physiological) • Retention, talent management and succession planning

  26. A need for... • Integrated, holistic thinking and planning • Consistency in values • Evidence based action • Strong leadership

  27. Contact us : Ben Emmens  ben@peopleinaid.org People In Aid, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London, UK, EC2A 4JX  +44 (0)20 7065 0900  info@peopleinaid.org www.peopleinaid.org

More Related