You are likely to be aware that the cost of hiring and training new staff is very high. Your business will always benefit from retaining your best employees. Often those ‘best employees’ have that label because they are intrinsically motivated to perform well. But even the ‘best’ employee will drop their performance levels, or even leave your business, if they are not satisfied with their work conditions. Here are some ways to encourage your employees to stay and to show that your staff’s well-being is important to you: 1. Implement health and wellness strategies. Organise a company team for a fun run, place bowls of fruit in the lunch room, implement regular mini breaks away from the computer screen, play music and so on. 2. Introduce volunteering opportunities. Talk to charity organisations in your local area and negotiate activities that your staff could be involved in. This might include out of work hours volunteering, as well as organised activities during work time. This has benefits for your business as a whole (by building links with the community and showing generosity) and can serve as a great team building activity. 3. Provide ‘birthday holidays’. If possible, giving employees an additional day off (or an ‘early mark’) on their birthday is a great way to show your appreciation for them. 4. Celebrate milestones. When a project is completed or your staff have achieved a milestone or perhaps even for no good reason at all, take the time to stop and celebrate. This might be as simple as finishing half an hour early on Friday afternoon for a glass of champagne and canapés, or more elaborate celebrations such as dinner at a nice restaurant.

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender

Women are leading the way when it comes to finding new ways of working. The traditional workplace that is designed by men, usually with stay-at-home spouses, isn’t working for many women – or men for that matter.

Women are finding that many workplaces are inflexible (and unrealistic) when it comes to catering for family needs and living a life outside the office.   In the US, women are starting companies at more than twice the rate of men. And in doing so, they are rewriting the workplace rules and changing culture. This is particularly evident in relation to when, where and how work gets done – gone are the expectations that work can only be done 9-5 Monday to Friday. Flexible workplaces are beginning to emerge that focus on the best way to achieve results while allowing staff to maintain a more balanced life.

Many female business owners (myself included!) list flexibility as one of their main reasons for starting a business. Being able to work around family commitments is highly valued by most women and a great motivator for finding a way to create a workplace that has flexible work hours and ways of getting work done.

Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender