How technology improves employee retention

One of the biggest problems facing most organizations, and usually the most expensive, is retaining good employees.  Losing employees means lost productivity.  Hiring new employees costs money to locate, interview, and train them.  The same is true no matter what the industry and sector.

You wouldn’t think that the shortage of professional teachers might be caused by losing teachers to more than just age-forced retirement. I mean, teaching is such a great gig, right? (insert sarcastic face)  Teachers do what they do because they love their clients … the kids.  Not because they make lots of money and they are great chances for advancement. According to Stop Driving Teachers Out Of The Classroom — Focus Instead On Keeping Them There  in Forbes, a growing number of teachers are retiring because the work is no longer worth the trade-off of time and resources they are forced to commit. “Constant upheavals in the curriculum, in testing regimes and even the way teachers are expected to teach have resulted in enormous strains on teachers, leaving many to feel they have no option but to leave the profession.”  Although the article takes on a more ‘it’s the government’s fault’ type attitude, it brings a very valid point to light.  Is the technology in the schools the best that district can afford and providing what teachers and student need to be keeping up with the workload and expectations of them?

A large number of private sector jobs are also the same. Not all employees are corporate ladder climbers.  They want a stable job, where they feel they are appreciated and compensated commensurate to their output.  When the employee no longer feels that the security of the position, the pay, or the benefits are worth how hard they are having to work, they will choose to move on to other employment if they can.  In addition, hiring and retaining employees new to the workforce might prove difficult if the technology in the office isn’t helping them do their jobs … sometimes even holding them back.

Technology may be replacing some jobs (that’s a whole other blog article), but it is supposed to HELP people DO their jobs.  Supplying teachers with training that is appropriate and innovative.  Providing resources that help reduce or eliminate tedious work, clutter, and miscommunication increases productivity and job satisfaction. Providing staff with organizational and productivity tools (and the training they need to use them) might seem like an unnecessary expense when ‘the old way works fine.’ But you may be incurring MORE expense when you are having to look for new employees.

When you start planning out this year’s professional conferences to attend and come back with loads of great ideas and things you can be implementing in your organization, remember to give your West Valley Technical Services technician a call to help you make those transitions as smooth as possible.