…So Look After Them
By Business Desk
Thursday, June 20, 2019.
“Assets are company resources which have future economic value.”
If that doesn’t sound like your employees, then you might need to reconsider a few things. You should always be aiming to say that your employees are your biggest asset. But, you need to treat them that way too. It’s tricky to really define what it means though.
Technically, your employees should be around for years to come, so giving them the best working environment and training should ensure that your business will reap the rewards of their hard work (and yours).
Have you ever worked in a space where there was one person who just seemed to bring the whole room down? They complain about the work environment, they aren’t the most helpful people in the mornings and frankly they are a bit of a bad apple?
Well, they have the ability to bring down the productivity and the positive attitudes of other employees. That effect will start to show up in work output, sick days, and it will be ever present when you have work days out.
So what can you do, to keep your biggest asset productive and loyal?
Treat them well. But here is how.
Train them
Invest in the best employee training software and courses that you can afford. By giving them a more comprehensive skill set, they will want to use those skills in their day to day work. Which means the work that they are producing for you, will begin to get better and better.
Unfortunately, you will still lose an employee or two if you aren’t…
Provide Opportunities
If there is no ‘up,’ then they might just go ‘out’. Employee growth matters. If you are a small company and there is no real room for people to move up the ladder, then you need to think about financial things, more team building and finding other ways to provide opportunities for them.
If there is some travel required for the work, offer it to them, you might find that they perform brilliantly and you end up with an even better outcome.
Respect Them
And you will get respect back too. You have to give it to get it and sometimes it is hard earned. Treat your staff as if one day they will take your job. Not that that is their end goal, but understand that they are highly skilled people, who have opted to work in your company and if they don’t feel valued, they may just leave.
Flexible
Flexible working hours is a big deal. It allowed working parents to spend more time with their children, and those without children can go and do things that they enjoy. If your company structure allows for some flexibility, then put it into action.
Some people are productive in the morning, others are productive in the afternoon. If they are able to bend their work hours to work when it really suits them, their productivity will skyrocket. There have been many studies into flexible working hours and days, and Glassdoor found that 80% of people would opt for flexible working hours over a higher pay.
Tradition work culture has its place, but the shift in how employees view work has changed. So it is always worth changing with modern working trends.
Communicate
Often and well. Within any organization, there are whispers of what is going on, who has heard what and so on. Nip that in the bud by having an ‘always honest’ policy. Communication in your company should be of the highest priority, and your employees need to know that they can come to you with any (and all) issues.
Many offices have now implemented a Whatsapp or Slack group. So that they can communicate with each other outside of work. And, while it isn’t always about work, it strengthens the bond between your team members.
You might be surprised to find who has what exceptional skills that you hadn’t recognized before too. It’s a great way to really get to know your staff.
In the communication bracket, comes to feedback. You aren’t perfect, and nor are your team. Rather than have formal feedback sessions all the time (or as well as), have open meetings. Get your staff to give you feedback on clients, on the other team members, and on your own performance. These conversations often open up a world of exciting, actionable things.
Encourage
The most talented employees are always passionate about what they are doing. They have a skill that they enjoy using, and if you continually clip their wings, you might find yourself missing out on some of their most exceptional work and ideas. Provide a project where they can explore that talent (under your guidance) and see what happens.
Praise
It cannot be stressed enough that building their esteem and confidence of your employees will do wonders. The most straightforward way to do this is to give praise to where and when it is due. If they reworked an article, or create a piece of code, or may be organized a team meal – let them know that you appreciate it. Praise in the right places will do more than negative comments.
As the saying goes, you catch more flies with honey than vinegar – and the same is true for your team.
Hiring
When you are hiring, make sure that it isn’t just your opinion counting towards the final outcome. Your staff has an excellent feel of the ecosystem and dynamics in the office. They will usually be able to tell if someone is going to fit in. But, always be mindful that teams will go through the Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing every time a new person is added.
Be mindful of what their skills are on paper, and ask what else they think they could bring to the table. This shows them that it isn’t just about the CV, it is about them as a person and the impact they will make on the team.
Your employees are your biggest asset, so treat them like it.
