Common Mistakes You May Be Making As An Employer

Being the boss isn’t easy. The idea of having complete authority can seem like a massive freedom at first, but then you realise how much red tape and admin there is to complete, and your dreams of being a hands-on happy-to-help boss fall through. Most of us know when we’re doing something wrong as an employer. However other mistakes can often go unnoticed. Here are a few of those less obvious bad habits that aren’t good to have as a boss.

Ignoring the importance of the hiring process

When a vacancy needs to be filled fast, the first reaction may be to employ anyone you can as soon as you can. This however can do more damage than good. New staff need to be carefully screened and selected. By interviewing and receiving applications from as many applicants as you can, you’ll increase your chance of finding that perfect employee that doesn’t leave after a month.

Using only money as an incentive

Offering monetary bonuses for overachieving may spur some people on, but if the rest of the work environment is utterly demotivating, you’ll need to do a lot more than bribe people with bonuses. Money Soldiers details some of the other motivational tricks you can use to get employees working harder. Think of other employee benefits your staff get from working with you that they wouldn’t get anywhere else, as well as ways of improving atmosphere and camaraderie.

Not getting to know their staff

You don’t have to become best buddies with your staff members. However, getting to know them on a personal level could improve trust between the two of you, making them more loyal to you as well as making them feel that they can open up to you more. Having one-on-one regular meetings with each of your staff can be a great way of doing this. Going out for a meal at lunch or buying a few drinks after work can also be a great way of letting loose and getting to know everyone more personally.

Not letting go of bad employees

Bad employees shouldn’t be allowed to slip through the net during the hiring process, but we’re all prone to making mistakes and sometimes that can mean hiring a bad employee that brings the company down. Many of us will notice their incompetent and unreliable behaviour. We may even give multiple warnings. But few of us will take further action. The truth is, sometimes you have to take the plunge and fire these employees, otherwise they’ll just continue to behave as they are and potentially annoy or rub off on other employees. For those struggling to sack an employee, there are many guides that can make the process easier.

Neglecting the option to outsource HR

Becoming an employer comes with a lot of HR work. This involves keeping on top of employees’ holiday and sick leave, designing rotas, signing contracts and receiving out of office calls and queries. All of this can pile up and become very stressful, but you can lift the burden by outsourcing it. There are services that will take out-of-office emails and calls for you when you’re at home, so that you can enjoy your free time without being quizzed by employees about work. HR services can also do a lot of the admin, freeing up time for you to do other things during the working week.

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