‘I’ve lost another one’ he said as he stared into his beer.
It was Friday night poker. The night when the boys could shake-off their working weeks and have some fun. Not for Chris though, usually the life and soul of the party he was disconsolate, a small suburban builder – he had just lost another staff member… the third in as many months.
Not Chris’s night.
Not Alone
It was little comfort when I told him about a conference I had attended last month. Over two days I had meetings with 12 Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) of some of Australia largest companies. Their companies between them employed more than 50 000 people. In pitching our services to them my first question was…
I was shocked by what I heard… ‘staff resourcing’, ‘we can’t get enough hands on deck’, ‘people’… 8 of the 12 nominated staffing – getting people and keeping them was their biggest challenge. This is not what normally CMO’s talk about. Chris was in good company.
At this point I could reference many reports or the Australian Bureau of Statistics but ask you instead – is this happening in your workplace? Probably, yes.
Employee Retention and Engagement 2022
Employee retention and engagement Is an issue in almost all workplaces – finding and keeping staff is getting harder and harder. The Australian Institute of HR has the numbers – how much it costs to replace staff… It’s eye-watering;
Promotional Merchandise as an Engagement Tool.
Employers are struggling with the cost of hiring and on-boarding new staff…. and letting existing staff go too easily. There is another way. Investing in staff and giving them more flexible working arrangements can go a long way, however one of the main reasons for staff leaving is a perceived lack of appreciation from their employers.
Promotional merchandise is a tangible sign of appreciation and when done well, as part of a wider program of recognition can help reduce employee churn. Good merchandise creates an emotional connection with the giver;
“In the early 2000’s I worked for Virgin Blue, now Virgin Australia. Each Christmas every member of the team would receive a Christmas Gift delivered to our home. The gift itself varied, it may have been wine, a beach chair or a picnic blanket. What was interesting to me was the fact that the conversation in the following days wasn’t about the gift itself, it was about how good it felt to be a part of this organisation and acknowledged in this way.”
Michelle Gregory
Recognising employees with well-chosen gifts is a form of tangible recognition. It won’t stop a bad workplace being bad but it can be a strong signal to employees that they are part of a larger group with shared values and experience. It’s about how they feel.
Can you afford not to recognise your staff?
Helpful merchandise links:
Call us on 1300 303 717 to talk with a merchandise expert.
The Promotion Products Team