One of the many important subjects which was discussed at the Start Up Festival which took place in Malta on the 13th and 14th of October was the issues which companies are finding when it comes to recruiting and holding on to employees
Employees are no longer seeking traditional motives to work such as salary and career growth, as today’s busy lives entail flexibility, job interest and engagement to be the priority for retaining employees. Zach Ciappara the CEO of Free Hour shared his experience with developing a non-corporate culture within his youth workforce. That itself is a selling point as he looks beyond posting testimonials showing employee satisfaction, but rather ensuring employees love their job and communicating it through content. Robyn Pratt from Finisher Hotel shared this common ideology and emphasized on practicing what is being preached.
Chris Busuttil Delbridge from Evolve stated “one size fits one,” referring to being interested in every individual you employ and co-creating things with them. Ally Jackson from JS International continued on this with the phrase, “purpose before paycheck,” as there is the need for engagement beyond training and opportunities. As well as, the importance of providing employees with significance through an emotional gauge. This involves challenging them and valuing their contributions to grow as individuals, and also through connecting with people in the office.
Matthew Camilleri ; CEO of Castle commented on how skills are changing fast however they should not become redundant. Thus, investing in employees is essential for them to fit the ever changing scenarios and support them throughout. This can be done through promotion and training as well as delegating them with responsibility and accountability. Malta Enterprise has been successful in building a cluster. The various incentives and initiatives such as the startup framework have been useful for employers to retain and invest in their workforce, not only during the Covid-19 pandemic.
