According to experts, the Great Resignation is upon us, and many bookkeeping firms are feeling the loss. Did you know that 4 million people in the US quit their jobs in July 2021? Since the middle of last year, resignations have been on the rise. 

Like many businesses owners, you’re probably worried about holding onto good team members. Retaining staff during the Great Resignation starts with understanding WHY so many people are leaving their jobs. Here are some steps you can take to make your staff want to stay. 

Provide opportunities for growth

One of the main reasons why good employees leave is that they don’t see a future with the company. Studies have shown that the increase in resignations is primarily coming from mid-career employees. People are reevaluating their careers and how far they reasonably think they can go in their current companies. If you want your staff to stick around, you have to provide pathways for growth at your firm. Embracing progress is important here. Your staff wants to be able to grow professionally, which means they want to work for a firm that is also ready to grow. 

Understand that many are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic 

The Covid-19 pandemic impacted us in many ways. Understand that your team may still be recovering, whether they contracted the virus and are still suffering from long Covid, have lost family members, or just been under a tremendous amount of stress. 

Be flexible

Has returning to the office been harder than you thought it would be? Plenty of people are struggling to get back to normal. Among other things, the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work. In order to keep up and keep your staff, you might want to embrace flexibility in the workplace. This doesn’t necessarily mean going fully virtual. Instead, you can provide WFH options for some positions or days and more flexible hours.  

Focus on company culture and values

Your team wants to know that they work for a company that cares about them and holds good values. Be sure to foster a sense of camaraderie at the workplace. This might mean organizing company parties to celebrate big milestones or arranging fun games to play in the office, like a desk decorating contest. Focus on creating a company culture that is both fun and communicative. You want your employees to feel comfortable enough to come to you and express any issues they might have in the workplace. 

Look at your offboarding process

Saying goodbye is difficult, but it’s important to have a written procedure in place that will ensure there are no misunderstandings or hard feelings. Even team members who decide to leave should be treated kindly. After all, the rest of your staff is going to be watching this go down. If a member of your staff decides to leave, make sure you celebrate the work they’ve done for your firm. Allow them to leave on good terms and keep the door open if there is potential for them to return. 

A good team makes a good firm. No one wants to say goodbye to valuable team members. That’s why it’s so important to reassure your staff that they are important to you and give them opportunities to progress in their careers with your firm.