If you’re running a business, you should be aware that building a strong and talented team is not only incredibly difficult but priceless to the success of your operation.

You might have been lucky enough to find the right team, likewise you might still be trying to make a couple of key additions. Either way, attracting and keeping hold of good people is more competitive than even.

So, what’s your USP for your employees? Consider these areas to offer an environment for your staff to enjoy and thrive in.

Value the Work-Life Balance

Today, one of the measuring sticks for the quality of a business is its emphasis on promoting a good work-life balance.

Gone are the days of pushing staff into 50-hour working weeks and burning the midnight oil. A modern, streamlined business should have the tools to enable staff to produce results within the nine to five.

By offering options around flexi-time, working from home, good paternity schemes or even just making sure people know they can leave on time without getting a dirty look, you will be rewarded with a motivated and productive workforce that will provide you with some great results.

Reward Good Work

Rewarding people for their hard work is essential to maintain employee engagement and motivation, and there’s no excuse not to have it as part of your business.

It doesn’t need to be grandiose gestures either. Whilst a trip to Las Vegas certainly makes a mark, employees tend to respond better to smaller, more frequent rewards than a single large event.

This is good news for you as it means showing your appreciation doesn’t have to break the bank. Sure, material incentives are great to keep people going, but actions as simple as regularly saying ‘thank you’ or making a point of commending someone on a good piece of work will make a huge difference to employee welfare.

Take Care of Their Environment

Nothing enhances the Sunday dread more than the thought of coming into a dingy office, so make sure your work environment is a place people enjoy being in.

Something as simple as a lick of paint on the walls or some nice plants scattered around will make more difference than you think, and it shows your employees that you care about their day-to-day experience in the office.

Furthermore, eco-friendly, green offices are becoming a priority for the future workforce, with climate-conscious Millennials and members of Generation-Z placing more of an emphasis on working for energy conscious employers.

With that in mind, investing in the likes of energy efficient heating and lighting will not only save your business money, but potentially help you attract the right people in the future.

Trust, Listen and Don’t Micromanage

One of the best things you can offer your employees is completely cost-free, and that’s an environment where they feel trusted, always valued and not under the microscope. This comes down to management style, and getting it right is key to creating a good business culture.

Micromanaging your staff is a great way to create stress and disillusionment, so trust in your recruiting and training processes that your business is in good hands and leave the daily ‘quiet words’ behind. More often that not, your staff will reward your trust.

Listening to employee feedback and acting upon it is essential to staff feeling valued. Moreover, taking heed of innovative ideas in your team could do the business wonders, so don’t just trust your own judgement and no one else’s.

It’s a highly competitive world out there when it comes to attracting the best talent for jobs, so you should be taking every step you can to keep your employees invested and secure your business for the future.