Nathaniel Fried
When running a business, there are three principal concerns which must be your priorities. The first is, of course, your customers, and the second, closely behind, is your product or service. The third aspect, however, can often be overlooked or neglected, and this can have a catastrophic impact on your business. We are talking about your employees. Here, we have the guide to keeping employees happy and helping to make sure you get the most from your workforce.
Trust
Trusting your staff to do the job they are trained for is perhaps the best and easiest way of keeping them happy, motivated, and firmly on your side. It can be difficult to hand over the reins, but there comes a time where micromanaging and watching over the shoulder of your staff will merely engender bad feeling—a detriment to any workplace. As long as you implement the appropriate training, there is no reason to believe that they won’t succeed.
Time
Flexibility is another big selling point in the workplace. A system which uses an on the clock punch in system may seem old fashioned, but it can be the best way to utilize and manage your employees time more efficiently. It allows you to see exactly what has been achieved and when, track productive periods of the day, and see if you are over hiring at certain points. Time tracking also allows employees to manage their own time more efficiently. If they have to clock in a certain amount of hours, they can have autonomy over when these are taken and how shifts are split. Willingness to be flexible is a great way to create a positive working atmosphere.
Stability
Making sure that your staff knows exactly what is expected of them is a great way to gain their trust and respect, as it eliminates the possibility of miscommunication or misunderstanding. Making sure that all expectations are clear from the outset ensures that everyone knows their place, their task, and their responsibility, and there are no nasty hidden surprises along the way. Make sure all rules and requirements remain consistent and stable, and that any changes in expected roles and responsibilities are clearly outlined form the outset.
Clarity
Just as in a relationship, open and honest communication is vital in the workplace. It is crucial that ill feelings or grudges are aired and dealt with as soon as possible, or they risk festering and blowing up into something much more significant down the line, creating an unproductive and unenthused team. Make sure there is a clear complaints policy which allows everyone to have their say and ensure all whistleblowing procedures are clear and easily accessible. Encourage a collaborative and open working environment, where everyone’s opinion and work are respected, and you will save yourself a great deal of effort and headaches—not to mention you’ll have a lower staff turnover rate. The latter is not only great for morale; it is a far easier option than constant rehiring and training!
Taking these steps to ensure your team is satisfied and committed to their work can drastically increase your productivity, and so your profits.
