CPA Australia Western Australia division is developing an employee retention strategy it hopes will not only curb churn rates, but will also benefit the organisation through a more thorough understanding of its objectives.
CPA Australia Western Australia director Ian Watt said that last year, with the help of Gerard Daniels, the professional body began identifying how to attract and retain good staff and the staff it needed to perform its key functions.
“We really reviewed our strategy and it was looking at what are we here to do? How do our staff play a part in that and what is the reward? As we speak we are redefining our strategy and looking at what it is we have to do,” Mr Watt said.
“It’s often when someone leaves an organisation and goes to another and asks why you do it like that, and the response is because that’s the way we have always done it.”
Mr Watt said the organisation was changing its approach to employees.
“For instance, the December that’s just gone companies could have given a cash bonus of $5,000 and that person would have paid off the bills and forgotten about it in two to three months,” he said.
“But lets say you give someone a chance to go overseas for four weeks and take two weeks off, then they’ll remember that forever. We’re looking at things that connect with people and it’s not monetary.”
Mr Watt said employees who knew what the organisation’s goals were tended to be more motivated.
“These days people need role clarity,” he said.
“If you look in the recruitment pages you will be lucky to see the same title three times; they’re all different.”
