As Hays, the world’s largest specialist recruiter, celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, Alistair Cox, Hays CEO, looks at the reasons why so many of the Company’s employees have built and developed decade long careers with the business.
The milestone has given the Hays CEO the opportunity to reflect on the Company’s many achievements during this time, stating its success is down to the many employees, both past and present, who have been integral to its accomplishments. Many of those employees remain with the company today, with some being at Hays for 20, 30 or 40 years.
Alistair has shared the reasons he believes employees dedicate such a large amount of their career to one employer in his latest LinkedIn Influencer blog and also highlights them below.
1. Feeling a sense of purpose
To employees knowing that they make a difference each day, no matter how small, is a strong motivator. Employees will stay with a business that makes them feel good, about themselves and the world around them.
Alistair reveals what gives him purpose in his role; “I worked out that in my decade as CEO, we have placed around 4 million people into their next job. That’s massive and it’s really compelling. Every day we as a business are transforming lives. That’s pretty powerful stuff.”
2. Not being bored
Discontentment at work can begin to cause issues when it starts to have an effect on other areas of a person’s life, at that point employees may consider whether it is time to move on. Employees who feel challenged by their work and don’t find themselves becoming bored tend to stay with a business longer.
Alistair says, “A good employer should constantly push its employees out of their comfort zones and away from the familiar. Similarly, employees shouldn’t simply sit back and wait for opportunities to come to them; instead, they should actively seek them out.”
3. The people
People often spend more time with their co-workers than they do their friends and family. So co-workers naturally have a big impact on a person’s happiness in the workplace. The relationships forged at work allow people to learn from one another and obtain a higher level of enjoyment out of the role, these are the relationships which will have the bigger impact on a person’s working life.
Alistair explains, “It’s these bonds, solidified over time, which often make it harder to leave an organisation. It’s also these bonds that create a sense of belonging and camaraderie which are the roots of great team work, future thinking and ultimately a feeling that we’re ‘all in it together’”
4. A sense of belonging
People who stay with a single company for a long time feel as though they are part of its story, as it is something they have helped create over time.
Alistair says, “They’re emotionally invested, and to them, it’s not just a job – it’s a part of their lives and their own life story. And, just like every other part of their lives, they want to see it succeed. So, they feel compelled to be a part of the next chapter.”
Alistair closes by saying, “You’ll notice that all of them touch on how work makes us feel, not on the material things such as money and benefits. Whilst there’s no getting away from the fact that those things are important, what’s more important in my mind is that I work for an organisation that makes me feel good, fulfilled, valued, and, importantly, excited about the future we can create together.”
Source: Hays
