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How successful your business is depending heavily on your employees? Your business is only as good as those who keep it ticking over, so hiring – and retaining – the right staff is not something to be taken lightly.
Once you have an established team, it’s your job as an employer to push them and get the most out of them; if not for the benefit of your business, for them, and their career growth. If you’re at a loss as to how to get more out of your staff beyond a pay rise, here are a few things you can try.
Recognition
Often thought of by the stern and serious business person as childish coddling, it’s actually human nature to respond to positive reinforcement. So, if you’ve been avoiding telling your employees they’re doing a good job because you think it’s a somewhat redundant gesture, your business could be suffering as a result.
If a person feels like their hard efforts are going unrecognised, they’re less likely to care about the quality of the work they’re producing, because from their point of view, a job well done isn’t getting any praise, and neither is a bad job either. From this perspective, what’s the point of putting in all that extra effort if it won’t make a difference in terms of recognition? This mentality quickly leads to sub-par and mediocre work output, and no company ever thrived by simply being mediocre.
By congratulating an employee or giving them gentle praise when they do a good job, meet an important deadline, close a vital lead or get a special mention from a client or customer, they will become aware that you’re paying attention to them and will likely want to do a consistently good job. Not only this – employees who feel appreciated perform better at work, so all the more reason to make time for a brief pat on the back.
Development
People work harder when they have a specific goal in mind, so providing career development opportunities for staff is imperative for encouraging an increased level of productiveness and work output.
Ensure there are plentiful chances for your team to progress within their roles. No one wants to be a junior or an assistant forever, and if an employee does find themselves feeling stagnant in their role, they’re likely to move to a different firm where they’re given the opportunity to enhance and develop their career further.
By creating different management levels, your employees will feel like there’s room for them to grow into and better their role, and in doing so, they can increase their pay (which is arguably one of the biggest motivators of all).
Respect
Being an employer comes with many benefits, and some people like the fact they have no one to answer to. Being your own boss isn’t for everyone, but some people thrive by not having anyone to answer to. Of course, in any workplace, there’s a hierarchy, but the issue comes when employees feel like there’s a substantial distance between themselves and their higher-ups.
Small things like referring to your employees as your team can make them feel like they’re on a level playing field, as can showing that you’re not afraid to get stuck in and help out when it’s needed instead of letting them flounder. Being a good manager comes down to caring for and respecting your employees. If you make the mistake of assuming that you’re better than they are, don’t be surprised if they leave and you find yourself struggling to find and train new staff.
Getting the very best out of your employees stretches further than simply recognising their efforts, allowing them the chance to advance, and showing your respect for them, but these three ideals are the very basic foundations of getting the most from your team, and as simple as these solutions seem, they’re not to be taken for granted.
