The subject of motivating employees and staff retention is of increasing importance to senior staff and HR practitioners. Recent studies carried out by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) showed that 37% of UK employees planned on leaving their jobs at the end of 2015.

Of course not everyone goes ahead with it, with several desk jockeys, cubicle monkeys and corporate cadavers staying that extra year or never end up leaving their job. But with such alarming figures, the role of HR within an organisation becomes more significant and suggests that the typical measures of increasing pay annually and Christmas bonuses is not sufficient.

The Importance of Work Life Balance

Competent UK firms are acknowledging the role of a work-life balance and this considers that employees have a life outside work and are not restricted by their profession.

Work life balance strategies that are well implemented include allowing parents with young children to work flexible hours - including days from home, four-day weeks or starting work at 10am.

The theory behind it is that staff will be more motivated by an employer that respects their family and values and it also encourages them to work harder if they have less hours to complete their tasks.

Creating a Positive Environment

In order to motivate and retain staff successfully, senior personnel should create an open and warm environment that encourages socializing and rewards.

Practical examples of this in 2016 include monthly nomination programmes where teams can nominate their most improved or hardest working coworker that month and they can be rewarded with a certificate, vouchers or prize.

Other social opportunities include staff lunches and dinners, free drinks on a Friday and themed office days as an excuse to create a buzz in the office e.g Halloween, Valentine's Day or the Queen's birthday.

Employee Benefits

For companies with thousands of workers looking to scale their employee incentives, there are companies that specialize in just that. The likes of Xexec, Workstars and Perkbox, allow you to create a bespoke portal with your company's branding and when logged in, staff have access to thousands of discounts and rewards based on their performance or position in the company. The types of employee benefits from Xexec include offers for travel, theatre tickets, gym memberships and childcare vouchers.

The recruitment industry has exploded in the last decade and the rise of online job finders such as Milkround and Linkedin creates a strong lure for talented staff. So to avoid losing key members and all the costs of replacing them, one will need to think very carefully about motivating employees in 2016.