Employer Advise

Staff Retention

Whether you like it or not, your actions and attitudes as a manager are probably the greatest influence on those of your staff. You might be surprised at how many candidates lay the blame of their working ills squarely on their boss. People don't quit their jobs, they quit their managers.

So how can you make people feel well managed? The good news is that some of the most effective measures are very straightforward. One of the most vital things is to be seen. Employees react badly to managers who they perceive to bury themselves in an air-conditioned office. It gives them the impression that their boss is more interested in climbing up the corporate ladder than in their welfare. To counter this impression, get up! Walk around the office and talk to your staff about their projects. Talk to them about their lives. Make them feel that they are considered.

It's true that too many managers weight their time towards the demands and desires of their superiors, leaving their staff feeling neglected. There are no short cuts to reversing this situation. The more time and effort you devote to your staff - perhaps at the expense of other priorities - the better manager you will be. To really improve your department, you will need to develop an understanding of:

· the individual roles

· the way in which these roles interact

· the structures of responsibility

· time pressures

Some of the biggest gripes made about managers relate to their poor listening skills. It is good to remember that most frustration evolves from feeling unheard. Espouse an open-door policy and stick to it - in practice as well as in theory. Listen to your employees, and address bad feeling rather than hoping it will disappear. It seldom does.

How to write a job description

The first step

Writing a job description should reflect your overall long-term business plan. Any staff you hire will have to fit into your existing framework within your business, so think about how they will fit in in the long term. Choosing a job title is the first step to writing a good job description.

The job title will be the first thing applicants see so let them know exactly what you want. If it is a temporary position then state it immediately in the job title. Keep the job title to the point and include the job level within the company in the title. Where they will fit into the business hierarchy is important, is it a senior or assistant position etc

What to include

o What exactly does your business do, and where are you situated geographically. You should also take some time to say what your business environment is like. Is the job fast-paced with daily deadlines in corporate office or is it more relaxed environment in a busy expanding business with exciting opportunities? These are just a few examples of the kind of important details you should include. Remember at this point you are selling the job to potential candidates, so try to inspire and excite.

o If experience is a must then state that too. Experience, like qualifications, can relate to pay – the more experience the higher the salary, although this is not always the case. Ask yourself whether experience in a certain field would enhance the ability of a candidate to do the job or is experience irrelevant to this

Legal requirements

A job description is viewed as a legal document so anything that is seen to be discriminatory on the basis of sex, national origin, race, colour, age, nationality or physical or mental disability is illegal.

Clarity is everything

You should decide what salary level you will offer, and whether it is it negotiable? You needn’t list the salary in the job description if you choose not to.