Main conclusions of the survey:
Requirements of recruiting and retaining Life Science staff
The survey indicates the important factors in recruiting and retaining staff in Life Sciences. Indirectly, the survey scoffs at elegant lunch rooms and expensive share options, which do not play a prominent part in staff job satisfaction or their choice of a new employer. Not even salaries are a high priority.
The young, modern Life Science employee demands:
1: Influence and freedom to plan own tasks
2: Competent management
3: Attractive assignments
4: A good psychological work environment
5: Flexible work hours (and a preference for work-from-home arrangements)
6: Recognition
7: Professional stimulation through competent sparring
8: Responsibility
Also ensure that salary and pension match a competitive level. Remember to inquire into preferred benefits rather than offering the standard package with no further ado and, finally, add medical ensurance to the package.
After that, there is not much more you can do!
Lack of ‘good leadership’ is a main reason for job changes
The results of the survey focus on lack of leadership as a main reason to leave a job.
Lack of leadership becomes an issue when the direct superior is not close enough to the staff to discover when the time is right to replenish motivation and is not sufficiently attentive to recognize a job well done. In order to hold on to staff, it is important that all managers are prepared to follow their employees closely and to react in a timely manner to their needs while ensuring that they are met with the challenges and responsibility they deserve.
Top management often create facilities such as lunch and fitness rooms. Top management also decide on salary levels, retirement benefits and so on. However, with regard to attracting and retaining staff, top management need to focus much more on giving their managers the opportunity of actually leading their staff. This may entail addressing the idea of giving managers the necessary time to lead and not only strive for their own targets and the next report to headquarters complete with templates and timetables. In the process, leadership may be neglected.
Do note, however, that ”influence and freedom to plan own assignments” and ”professionally stimulating sparring” are more important than ”close contact to direct superior. This would seem to indicate that managers should establish an operating space for their staff, follow up on their progress, etc., but should not be perceived to be monitoring too closely.