The key to a successful business means not only focusing on the customers’ needs but ensuring that their employees are well taken care of.
Taking care of your employees doesn’t simply mean offering fun happy hours or paying for lunch once a week. Each person, no matter their level or where they choose to work, wants to feel genuinely cared for. An impactful way to do this is through a commitment to support their professional advancement and personal growth.
Here are five top tips from luminablog.co.uk on how to get the most out of your employees and ensure that their productivity is kept to a maximum.
Empower Them with the Right Tools and Equipment
Providing employees with the right tools and equipment is important so they can perform their duties efficiently and on time. There’s nothing more counterproductive than spending time waiting for paperwork to print because you haven’t got a fast-printing device.
People often spend hours on tasks that can be automated or highly sped up with top rated office management software. Most of the time, it’s actually cheaper to pay for things like calendar automation than it is to schedule meetings manually. There are solutions for many things today that you might not even know exist.
Be Efficient
Consider how your business is currently operating, and be open to the potential of changing the way you work. Remember that it’s equally as important to make short-term and long-term lists as it is to prioritize tasks, especially in a small business.
Is there a better way that staff members could structure their day to enable them to achieve their daily goals? Provide each member of staff with a plan and encourage each to make a list to ensure he or she completes prioritized jobs on time and stays on task all day, resulting in efficient working.
Create A Culture of Transparency and Feedback
While many managers are afraid to do this, admitting when you are wrong is crucial to building an honest and transparent culture where everyone can feel free enough to be their best at work. For me, this starts at the highest level. So, if you’re the CEO, learn to admit when you’re wrong.
Sometimes, as we sit in a leadership role, we think we have to demonstrate control and always be right. Yet, it actually shows more courage to admit when you don’t know the answer or that you made a mistake. Doing so will establish a layer of transparency with your employees and promote a culture of learning. In the long view, it will allow you to change your ideas and tendencies without needing to maintain your ego.
Get to Know Each Individual
Asking about something that you know has been going on in someone’s life or checking in on someone when they seem a bit down can build a stronger connection between you and every team member.
With this connection will come an opportunity to understand what motivates your employees, what they enjoy doing and what they are working toward. When an employee knows that their boss cares about their success, they’ll have more motivation to work and they’ll feel an obligation to work hard for you. Plus, it will make it easier to give constructive feedback when they know you have their best interests at heart.
Appreciate Good Work
Giving recognition for work that was lacking can set a bad precedent. While the line can sometimes be hard to draw, being attentive to the effort, growth and output of your employees will allow you to give them proper recognition.
Many employees are so caught up in their own worlds and won’t give each other the recognition they deserve, so being the one to applaud good work can keep motivation levels high and show much needed recognition.
You’ll be surprised how much a “good job” goes with some people. It can make the difference between a happy and productive employee vs. someone who leaves your company.
