Facing Challenges
It will come as no surprise to those in the UK housing sector that there are currently significant issues surrounding attraction and retention. According to the Advanced Trends Report 2023/2024, 24% of housing professionals see workplace shortages as the biggest challenge they face today.
In a recent study by Inside Housing, respondents said the main reasons for employees leaving the sector were low pay (59%), burnout (40%), and poor mental health and wellbeing (35%). Career change was cited by a further 38%.
These figures suggest widespread dissatisfaction within the sector, both in terms of the demands being placed on employees, and lack of reward. To mitigate burnout and poor wellbeing, senior leaders will need to implement a robust platform for people management.
Leveraging Good Management
Management can, and should, have a major influence on keeping employees motivated and on-task. Honest, adult conversations need to take place frequently, and should not be time-consuming or burdensome for the employee.
In order to remain motivated, employees must feel connected to the organisation, and made to feel that what they do matters. Feedback should be regular, constructive, and include praise and recognition. Objectives should be set, and these should be both manageable and stretching.
When measuring performance, administrative data should be kept separate from achievement. This means that data on absence, overtime, and courses attended should not be brought into the conversation on how well the employee is carrying out their day-to-day duties.
Importantly, employees must feel they have some level of autonomy in their role. Rather than expecting workers to simply carry out tasks they’ve been assigned, managers should – in conjunction with the employee – look at how to increase levels of ownership and independence.
Finding the Right Solution
In order to carry out these measures in the most efficient way possible, managers will need to look to a digital solution that is cost-effective and easy to use, requiring minimal training. All levels of the organisation should be able to use the solution without feeling burdened or overwhelmed.
Given the disparate roles within the housing sector, the right solution must be optimised for remote and flexible working. It should be accessible on any mobile device – a prerequisite for contractors, field service operatives, and other employees who spend much of their working day out-of-office.
The solution must enable the user to set clear objectives, ideally on an individual and collaborative basis. When employees have clarity on what is expected of them, they remain on-task for longer, and better connected to the organisation.
Boosting Morale
Our digital Continuous Performance Management (CPM) solution, Performance and Talent, has been optimised for modern people management. Hosted entirely in the cloud, employees and senior leaders can access the software from any location, at any time, and on any device.
Performance and Talent is exceptionally easy to use and intuitive, saving time on training and increasing employee engagement. All employees are able to give and receive feedback, fostering the idea of a single team pulling together, and giving a voice to every member of the organisation.
Feedback happens in real time, giving employees immediate recognition for completed tasks. This provides a sense of achievement, and makes the employee feel connected to the organisation. When praise is delivered for a job well done, the employee receives an instant boost to morale.
Unlocking Potential
Within the Performance and Talent dashboard, the user can set objectives, which can be reworked throughout the year. These objectives provide employees with clear goals to work towards, and can be set individually, collaboratively, and to align with the organisation’s values.
The software also comes with useful analytics data, with charts and infographics that allow the user to view trends over time. These data-driven insights can help managers unlock employee potential, and compare adoption of the system across managers and departments.
Performance and Talent even comes with smart AI assistance, making it easier to create feedback. The Draft With AI tool gives suggestions on structure, offers insights, and helps draft professional-sounding feedback that is constructive and meaningful.