Recently I had a work anniversary published on Linked-in – It wrongly stated I’d been with RGB for 11 years when in fact it’s nearer 13 but it set me thinking, whether it’s 11 or 13 years, it’s an impressive innings with the same employer.
When I joined RGB, I’d spent 2 years in recruitment with an independent agency, and, prior to that, I had worked in media sales where many of my then clients were Recruitment businesses so I was well aware that Recruitment is a transitional career.
Similar to many sales roles, it is a career choice often favoured by the youth before they decide what their next work step will be, the opportunity to learn & earn, though working with the emotional highs & lows isn’t for everyone so some people move often, either to other recruitment businesses lured by more money and more potential for development, or move out of the industry altogether.
So this makes my current tenure all the more impressive, and, yet, rather than being a credit to me, on reflection, it is also a massive credit to our business, a business that is able to nurture, develop, reward and retain our staff year on year.
Everyone’s different, and therefore so are their motivators – what drives a working parent won’t be the same as what drives a young & hungry sales trainee so not everything a business does will rate as highly for everyone in the team so it’s crucial that employers, like mine, recognise that there are several ingredients in the pot here.
Some of the common ones include:
Reward – either financial reward or incentives – anything from sweets & lunches to away days and weekends
Recognition – the opportunity to be recognised for doing a great job both internally & externally
Passion – maintaining and increasing the passion you have in your industry, your delivery and your role
Development – the opportunity to progress your career, study, learn more and keep growing both professionally & personally
Consistency – working within a team where the game plan is consistent, the structure, systems, processes are consistent throughout the businesses
Stability – the knowledge that the business is stable, with solid foundations for the future
Flexibility – the opportunity to have a great work/life balance
Communication & Engagement – the opportunity to both be engaged and also to project engagement to others.
Autonomy – the freedom to perform as an individual, to become a project or sector lead and take control of something whilst also being part of a larger support network
The list is potentially endless, but, by attending to the above, keeps employees happy, secure and driven which makes for a business that’s, guess what, happy, secure and driven!
Now that I’m in an employing capacity, I can genuinely lead from the front, motivate and enthuse my team and new employees by remembering what keeps me motivated & happy but also by taking the time to find out what motivates the individuals in my team – after all, the carrot & stick doesn’t work for everyone!