A good employer is adept at finding talented people for their company, but a great employer knows how to retain said talents too! With more Malaysian companies looking to boost their retention rate, employers might want to take note of what these workers experienced that made them happy to stay at their workplaces!
1. “My boss wants everyone to clock out by 4 pm every day.”
“My boss has a strict ‘lights off by 4 pm’ policy where all employees are required to turn off office lights, PCs and the like before clock-out time! You’d think that it’s because he wants to save electricity but he also requires us to keep our laptops and work phones locked in the office too!” – Umar, Digital Marketer
Work-life balance can seem elusive to those in the workforce, but luckily more and more companies are learning to highlight this aspect of work by honouring the office hours put in place! Because after all, employees need rest to manage their stress levels. This in turn improves their physical and mental health, which keeps productivity levels high at the workplace!
2. “I got 2 whole weeks off and extra RM1,000 pay to pursue my hobbies.”
“There was this one month where I had to juggle many projects for different clients. After those projects were settled, my boss gave me two straight weeks of paid leave! To add to that, he knew that I’m passionate about painting so he gave me an extra RM1,000 on my paycheck to let me catch up on lost time to paint!” – Ting, Graphic Designer
One commonly unspoken workplace retention hack is to help employees invest in their leisure time! In addition to keeping work burnout at bay, it also boosts their mood at work, leading to higher productivity and a lower turnover rate at their workplace!
3. “Management allowed me to work fewer hours without pay cuts to take care of my father.”
“My father recently got diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. As his only caretaker, I requested a fully remote work arrangement from management to take care of him. Upon evaluating my work performance for the year, they granted me the arrangement AND allowed me to work fewer hours without cutting my pay!” – Keisha, Senior Accountant
Sometimes workers require more flexibility from their management to balance home demands with work tasks. So our advice to said managers is to assist them as much as possible to encourage them to stay with the company! If employers give them ample support then they’re more likely to earn the loyalty of their employees!
4. “My manager offered to pay for courses to help us develop professionally.”
“My team once hit a prolonged slump in our work so we approached our manager to see if we could do anything to improve our output. He then offered to cover thousands of ringgit in costs to help us attend a bunch of training courses! These courses were super helpful for our professional development as they range from technical stuff such as occupational safety and health to soft skills such as risk communication and networking too!” – Patrick, Electrical Engineer
A lot of workers can hit a wall with their profession, which in turn may lead to more issues such as absenteeism, lowered work efficiency and the like. Therefore, employers are encouraged to provide professional development support to boost the morale and confidence of their employees. This will result in increased overall job satisfaction and improved performance as workers feel supported by their management!
5. “My company regularly holds open discussions to reduce workplace inequality.”
“Almost every week, my workplace HR encourages each department to hold open discussions on various touchy subjects such as gender, culture, the generational gap and even about our pay! We’ve found that it helps us feel more included in the workplace and improves decision-making processes in the office!” – Jackie, Sales Engineer
Open discussions about workplace equality are important because they’re a platform to promote diverse perspectives and understanding among employees. It also ensures that workers feel valued and respected, which in turn keeps them engaged in the job and increases productivity!
It goes without saying that diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) are essential values to a healthy work environment. In addition to ensuring workers feel valued and respected, it also helps your company source better talent and provides an edge over competitors! As proof of this, there’s even an awards programme for employers with the best DEI practices!
To celebrate companies with the most progressive workplace strategies pertaining to DEI, TalentCorp is bringing back the LIFE AT WORK Awards (LAWA) for 2023!
“LIFE AT WORK Awards? What’s that?”
For those not in the know, the LIFE AT WORK Awards (LAWA) is an annual event presented by Talent Corporation Malaysia Berhad (TalentCorp), a national agency under the Ministry of Human Resources. After the pandemic, the LAWA awards event is making a comeback this year to spotlight businesses that implement DEI-friendly strategies!
Realising the need for improved productivity and work-life balance among workers, the LIFE AT WORK Awards is an event to showcase employers with leading DEI practices. Companies that win one of these awards will carry the LIFE AT WORK endorsement brandmark, which enhances their reputation as forward-thinking employers!
“Who can join and what awards can they get?”
LAWA is open to all companies regardless of their size or sector, which means any organisation, be it a bank, corporation, start-up or NGO, can participate and earn recognition in their industry for their prestigious work-life practices!
To get a better look, here are the award categories that your company has the chance to win from!:
- Best Organisation
- CEO Champion
- Best Leadership Team
- CARE Initiative
- CHRO Champions
- Promising Young HR Talents
- Outstanding Practices
- Sustainability & DEI
Keen to participate? Then head on to their website and follow these steps!:
- Create an account using your work email and start working on your submissions via your user profile.
- Fill in your submission, which consists of 10 sections. (You can revise your answers anytime before the deadline.)
- Submit your application with the relevant supporting documentation and information.
Remember: the submission period ends on 11 August 2023, so join now before the deadline and be eligible for the Awards Event which will take place this October 2023!
“These awards sound fancy! But what are the other perks I can get from LAWA?”
Here are the benefits your company can get by joining LAWA!:
- Recognition and Prestige
Show off your inclusive work environment and cement your company’s position as a leader in DEI practices!
- Attracting Top Talents
Make your company more appealing to talented individuals from diverse backgrounds!
- Employee Engagement and Satisfaction
Level up worker engagement and satisfaction by showing your commitment to DEI!
- Learning and Networking Opportunities
Mingle with industry experts and like-minded professionals to gain better DEI insights!
Think your company has what it takes to win an award? Then sign up through this link and get the prestige your organisation deserves from the LIFE AT WORK Awards now!
For more info on the LIFE AT WORK Awards, visit their website now or follow TalentCorp Malaysia on social media:
