Your employees are one of your biggest assets in terms of running a successful, profitable business. The better you treat them, the more likely they are to stick around and work hard to help you build a thriving, growing business. Treat them badly, and you’ll spend more time and money onboarding new employees than anything else.
It doesn’t take much effort or investment to keep your employees happy. Remember to treat them the way you’d prefer to be treated, and follow the tips below to best manage your staff.
Recognize Hard Work
One of the biggest compliments you can give your employees is to recognize their hard work. Don’t be afraid to reward their efforts with corporate gifts, paid time off, company-wide recognition, and the like. Gestures like these show just how much you appreciate their contribution to the company.
When people feel valued, they are more likely to work harder and be more dedicated and loyal to you and your company. It’s a win-win for everyone when you recognize and reward a job well done.
Encourage Good Communication
Good communication is at the heart of every relationship, and the relationship you have with your employees is no different. Let your staff know your goals and plans for the company and how you want to go about achieving them. Then, adopt an “open-door policy” that encourages honest communication on all fronts.
While the workplace is for work, personal issues often impact performance at work, so let your staff know you’re available to discuss anything that’s on their minds. When your employees feel heard, they will be happier and more productive overall.
Give Feedback Often
Positive feedback should be something you give your employees throughout the year and not just at review time. If you have negative feedback for an employee, make sure it’s fair and that you’re carefully expressing it with a focus on specific behaviors rather than vague complaints. Be sure to let the employee give their side of the story rather than being rigid in your perspective.
The flip-side of this is that you should encourage open lines of communication and allow feedback from your staff as well.
Delegate
As a business owner, your plate is full. You have to realize you can’t do it all, which means you may need to delegate some tasks to your most capable workers. Evaluate your staff and choose ones who stand out as dedicated, hard-working people. Give them important tasks to do and then stand back and let them do their job.
Your employees will enjoy the added responsibility and appreciate the trust you have in them. They will likely also take pride in the fact that they are contributing to the success of the company.
Offer Flexibility
Flexibility in the workplace is important to employees these days. Many people are turned off by the traditional 9-5 workday, while others may have personal responsibilities (taking care of an elderly family member or children, for example) that make it difficult to adhere to a traditional work schedule.
Offering these employees the ability to work from home or to choose their own hours allows them to take care of their responsibilities and focus solely on their job when they’re working. These inclusive workplace practices ultimately lead to happier employees and better productivity.
As you can see, getting the most out of your team isn’t difficult or costly at all. Treating them the way you’d like to be treated and making sure they are happy in their jobs is easy when you follow the tips outlined above.