Why HR needs to actively address big life changes

Talking about the major events happening in your employees’ personal life could keep some of your most valuable workers on board.

When you hear an employee talking about a major change in their life, it’s time to engage them in a conversion about their own future work plans. Fail to do so, and you could be scrambling to fill an unexpected vacancy, says one HR pro.

“The birth of a child, the loss of a loved one, marriage, divorce and a sudden illness requiring on-going medical treatment are all big life changes that could alter one’s career,” says HR expert Christian Schappel.

If you want to hang on to your best workers, Schappel suggests setting aside some time to sit down and discuss the ways in which HR could further accommodate their new situation.

One of the biggest reasons for employee departure is work-life balance – second only to advancement opportunities.

As your employees’ circumstances change, the way in which they want to balance their personal and professional life will too – but that doesn’t mean those changes are going to become permanent. So offering your top talent some temporary flexibility could be the trick to keeping them on board.

Has an employee just gotten married? Has there recently been a new addition to their family? A little leniency and the chance to scale back while they enjoy themselves will show workers that you value them and see their long-term potential at the company.

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