This helps the organisation to retain employees who appreciate the opportunity to have this flexibility. These arrangements don’t always need to be permanent, depending on the employee’s situation or the business’s needs. I encourage open dialogue with employees as it usually leads to identifying a solution, even if it is for only two weeks.

Flexibility with salary and reward options can also be favourable for both parties. It reflects the differing needs and values at an individual level. It provides a visible commitment to employees to choose what is most valuable to them. Examples include selling or buying additional annual leave or providing health insurance.

To remain competitive, organisations must regularly assess the external landscape and ensure their salary bands are aligned with industry standards, while also managing employee expectations. However, financial incentives are just one aspect of creating a top workplace. A strong, supportive culture is equally critical, as employees who struggle to fit in with an organisation’s culture are more likely to leave. Managers can help shape and sustain a positive culture by addressing negative issues, providing a realistic preview during recruitment, and offering comprehensive induction programs to integrate new hires effectively.

Culture of the organisation

A key reason why employees resign and leave the organisation is that they need help to fit into the culture. We know that culture is a component that we can’t see, and there is an argument that culture can’t be changed. Many factors impact it, and they can be positive or negative. There are certain elements that managers can try to illuminate, i.e., some unwritten rules and practices. However, culture should be considered in the recruitment and selection of new employees. Examples might include the tone of the wording and the length and number of criteria that employees would need to address. The organisation should give the candidates a realistic preview of its operation. Successful candidates need a detailed induction to aid their integration into their new role.

Where negative issues are raised, or there is a niggling worry that a ‘toxic culture’ is emerging, it is essential to reflect upon anything that the organisation may be able to do to support any specific challenges. Managers won’t know everything in their teams, so finding their perceptions of culture and suggestions for improvement can be beneficial.

Small things that can make a difference

By understanding what is important to the staff, the organisation can respond accordingly based on the premise of ‘being human. ‘ Small offerings such as allowing delayed start times when kids have their first day at school are small and inexpensive gestures that are usually valued.

Flexibility is also relevant to unexpected events that happen to everyone at some point, such as a domestic emergency. When employees know they will be supported, they are likelier to be honest about the circumstances without fear of negative consequences. This helps create a positive working environment and culture.

Professional development

Other ways exist to reward employees when organisations cannot raise salaries. If there are colleagues with the expertise to deliver training activities, that can be valuable and at no extra expense. Another option would be to offer some job rotation or shadowing so that employees can learn about the organisation from a different perspective. Coaching or mentoring can also be very beneficial, but it needs to be correctly organised and structured to reap the rewards. Managers could be encouraged to come up with some creative ideas that they believe would be welcomed by the team.

Employees often use these development activities to prepare for their next career step. An interesting addition to the list of possibilities is to consider secondments to different locations, including internationally (assuming they have a presence in a different country). With their learning and development offering, it will be important to highlight to employees why this investment is happening and the associated benefits for the organisation, their department and them as individuals.

If funding for staff development is available, there are lots of decision-making considerations, including:

• What is the overall budget?
• Do you want/need to delegate the budget? If yes, is it by department or a different grouping?
• How will you make fair and transparent decisions if you can’t fund every request?
• Can they pay for them to enroll in a degree program?
• Can they pay for a professional body membership and attend events that they carry out
• Should there be a caveat on the expensive qualifications? For example, if the employee leaves the organisation within the next two years, do they need to pay the money back?
• How can we ensure that it is ‘business as normal’ when employees attend their training sessions?