It is imperative  to have a stable and committed staff, otherwise, your organization becomes a revolving door. Constantly having to replace workers is expensive in time and resources,  and it has a negative effect on company morale.

The key is to produce a welcoming environment designed to attain a high degree of employee retention. Mentoring, diversity training and education both go a long way toward creating an atmosphere where people feel welcome.

On the surface, this may seem like an easy task, however, a quick employee assessment on how welcoming your workplace really is might tell a different story.

While there is no right way to achieve this ideal environment, the best approach is to get your workforce involved in creating various strategies and establishing initiatives to improve company morale.

Here are a few suggestions:

  • Try to be flexible and open-minded. For example,  certain cultures have different requests such as attending funerals, weddings of extended relatives/friends, which  often is  not the norm among the mainstream Canadians.
  • Be proactive by celebrating/acknowledging special occasions such as Diwali (the  Indian Festival of lights) Vaisakhi festival (Sikh New Year) Chinese New Year, Ramadan, St. Patrick, etc. Make sure the occasion is cherished and adopted.
  • Create a team of employees from all levels of the company whose objective is to improve the atmosphere and ensure all employees feel welcome and respected. This may include appreciation days, and recognition for accomplishments as it relates to diversity goals.

This, coupled with mentoring, training and education, and leaders who walk the talk and model appropriate behaviour, sets the stage for a high level of employee satisfaction and retention.