As we prepare to enter a new year it’s the time when people begin to think about the changes they want to make in their lives.

It’s also a good opportunity for business owners to consider what changes they can make for the better within their organisations.

Kate Palmer, HR Advice & Consultancy Director at Peninsula, shares some simple, yet effective things that businesses can do to ensure a successful and prosperous 2022.

Conduct stay interviews with employees
Employers often wait until an exit interview to get to the nitty-gritty of their employee’s thoughts on their role and the workplace – by this point, it’s too late to implement any measures that could encourage them to stay. By completing regular stay interviews with employees, assessing what they like about working for the organisation and what areas they feel could be improved upon, you can then implement effective changes to support increased motivation, satisfaction, and retention.

Support employees’ mental health
Employers must stop trivialising mental health and recognise that it is a crucial factor not only in employee satisfaction and engagement but also in general health and wellbeing. Providing empathy and emotional support training to managers, introducing mental health first aiders, and offering an employee assistance programme will go a long way towards reducing absences and optimising productivity.

Embrace inclusion
Businesses should pro-actively look at ways in which they can support individuals from under-represented groups. Examples of positive action include putting statements in job adverts to encourage applications, such as “we welcome female applicants”; offering training to help certain groups get opportunities or progress at work; offering mentoring to groups with particular needs; or hosting open days specifically for under-represented groups to encourage them to get into a particular field.

Engrain corporate social responsibility into day-to-day practices
Commit to sincere CSR projects in 2022. They can be as ambitious e.g., DPD replacing company vehicles with electric ones, or as small e.g., ditching plastic packaging, as you can manage but every step is a positive one, and your employees will thank you for it. An effective CSR policy and tailored initiatives can support the development of positive company culture and make employees feel like they are contributing towards wider society, which in turn improves motivation and productivity.

Avoid fire-rehire practices
A number of companies have been reported recently to be diminishing workers’ contractual terms and conditions. Whilst an SOSR dismissal with immediate re-engagement on new terms is still possible, employers must stop confirming outcomes without first completing a full consultation process and exhausting all possible alternative options. It is expected that related tribunal claims will face greater scrutiny over the process followed and reasons for enforcing changes, due to the negative effect on employee relations.