Your employees are the bread and butter which keep your business running smoothly. They’re reliable, passionate, irreplaceable members of your company and your business wouldn’t be the way it is today without their help. Many companies are place in the firing line all too often for treating their employees unethically and unequally. Don’t let your business be one of them and treat your workers impeccably. You want to be able to market yourselves as an all-inclusive, welcoming and supportive group to work for. Let’s show your staff and future recruits that they’re going to be highly valued members of their team. From team building exercises to rewards, you need to get actively involved in their day to day work lives. When it comes to showing your appreciation, it is true that actions speak louder than words. Nobody wants to be promised rewards and respect, only to be completely ignored all the time. You need to start breaking the boundaries between bosses and staff. So pave the path for future businesses and show them how it’s done. Your employees deserve this extra recognition, so let’s allow it to shine through.
Meetings Made Easy
Let’s face it, you were one a 9-5 worker who dreaded those morning meetings at 9am every Monday morning; nobody likes these formal sit down situations and they certainly don’t get excited for them. Try and be a little more creative with how you all get together and discuss important topics. Look into an exciting and unique conference venue, which will get everybody feeling motivated for the week ahead. Try and start throwing informal meetings too; don’t feel like you need to make everything a formal, sit down discussion all the time. Be creative and come up with innovative brainstorming games, which get you into new locations away from the office. Everyone will begin to appreciate your efforts and the new ideas will come flooding in.
Innovative Incentives
You might not feel like you can offer your employees everything they want be they will appreciate your efforts; from a small pat on the back to a bursting bonus in their pay cheque. Employees often see rewards as the highest form of recognition from their boss, so try and keep giving back to them. Promotions and pay rises aren’t the only way to show them you care though and they’re not the only type of rewards your employees are expecting. We have to be realistic and not make false promises to them. When a promotional job opportunity arises encourage people to get stuck in there, but don’t lure them into a false sense of security. Keep their expectations at a reasonable level, so you’re not constantly disappointing them. There are many ways you can give back and motivate employees without burning a hole in your pocket. Send them a complimentary email and thank them for any outstanding work they have achieved. Delegate some higher responsibilities to them and make them feel trusted. Sometimes a personal acknowledgement like this much more meaningful than a bonus each month. You can’t always afford to fork out pay rises for everybody, so try and stray away from money incentives and use your imagination to make them feel more appreciated.
The Social Scene
We all have jam-packed lives, but it is important to make time to socialise and destress with your team. Offer to take them out for a drink on a Friday after you have met a pressing deadline or organise an office Christmas party each year to show your appreciation. You owe them that precious time after all; they probably stay later than their contracted hours all the time in order to finish off big projects for you. Do the same for them and invest your precious time back into them. Go out of your way to organise group events too. Team away days are an awesome way for everybody to blow off some steam after a huge deadline. It will bring everybody closer together and it gives people a chance to relax around you and their colleagues. Social events are something that everybody can look forward to and they will eventually bring everybody together in the team.
Communication Is Key
Talking and listening to the people you work with, is one of the key traits which make a great boss. Don’t see yourself as higher than everybody else in your company; make sure you are talking to them in a polite and courteous manner. Communicating well is a skill that you will need to learn to master. Many talented business people may have the entrepreneurial skills behind them, but if they can’t communicate effectively everything will inevitably crash and burn. The trick with this one is to be consistent with your manner and form of communication. There’s no use being chatty and friendly to everybody in person and then sending rude and blunt emails for no apparent reason. Whenever possible speak to people face to face. It’s the easiest way to avoid misunderstandings and misconstrued tones of voice. Follow up a face to face conversation with a short and sweet email so all parties have got it all in writing. It’s always handy to have an email to refer back to when you’re working on something important. Keep listening to your staff too. Have regular chats and catch-ups with each of your employees to discuss their progress and future goals. Strike the balance between telling your staff what needs to be done and listening to their problems; you will achieve much more by using this method.
Your employees will remain loyal to you, if you put your trust in them. Continue to treat them faultlessly and your business will be bursting with motivated, dedicated and hard-working people. It’s your job to look after these people, so make sure you do it right and empower each individual to achieve the best. You were once in their shoes too, so don’t forget where you once starting. If you keep your feet planted sturdily on the ground at all times, you will soon be the most admirable person to work for.