Good help is hard to find
Have you ever sat down and figured out just how much it costs to replace an employee? Has a key employee’s resignation come at you from left field? We have examined the workplace from the employee’s point of view and come up with ten good tips to keep your employees happy and motivated.
Have you ever sat down and figured out just how much it costs to replace an employee? Has a key employee’s resignation come at you from left field? We have examined the workplace from the employee’s point of view and come up with ten good tips to keep your employees happy and motivated.
Think about it. Employee turnover is something no small business wants to experience on a regular basis. Just the final payout of your current employee alone can be almost crippling, especially if they have accrued holiday pay, sick leave and any severance pay. Then comes the cost of finding their replacement. Advertising, interviewing, orientation, job training and that impossibly unfathomable and immeasurable skill of getting to know your business almost better than you do.
This, of course, is just part of the equation; because the real question you have to ask yourself is why you lost your very good and very capable employee in the first place. Look around you. Does everyone seem happy and contented in their work, or are they just putting on an act for the boss.
Ask any boss what makes employees happy, and invariably you will get answers like: a good salary, a pleasant office, generous benefits etc. All of these, of course, play an important role in job satisfaction; but increasingly, workplace specialists are discovering that for many workers, the "happiness factor" depends heavily on intangibles, such as respect, trust, and fairness.
The key to good leadership is to know your staff. That is not meant on a personal level, all we are saying is to put yourself in their shoes once in a while – or more. Look at things from their perspective and try to appreciate the jobs they are doing. Just pretend that you work for them, rather than they work for you, you will see your job – and theirs – from a whole different level.
1. Appreciation. Praise costs nothing and its factor in increasing productivity is astounding. A pleasant working environment, good pay and interesting work are all factors in getting the most out of staff, but words of appreciation and encouragement are priceless.
2. Respect. Thank you – two little words that will never lose their potency. A pat on the back, a short note or an email can do wonders for raising staff morale and increasing productivity as well as work ethic. A company that strives for profits based solely on financials and not on human resources can end up a very unprofitable business in the long term.
3. Trust. Give your employees the opportunity to show you what they can do. Trust them to be responsible and caring and they will be. Encouraging your employees to make decisions and be creative will not only improve your business, it may send it off in an exciting new direction you’d never dreamt possible. Your employees are at the coal face and often have some great ideas on improvements, additions and changes.
4. Individual growth. People want the opportunity to prove themselves - to grow and learn on the job. Employees want to understand how their efforts contribute to the business and want to feel that they are making a difference to their team, their department, and the company.
This has never been truer than for Generation Y. The desire to receive training, take on new challenges, expand capabilities, and advance their careers is high on the agenda of 18 – 30 year olds. The focus is less about compensation and more about advancement, improved capabilities, and recognition of achievement marked by a new position.
5. A good boss. Take a good hard look at yourself and your management. Statistics show that 80% of employees do not leave jobs, they leaves bosses. Make your employees feel valued. Listen to them, be fair and sympathetic, everyone has a point of view. If you have a manager who has a steady stream of exiting employees, then maybe it is time you took a long hard look at the manager! Employee happiness is a serious business and an essential consideration for business owners who want to keep top talent.
6. Compatible co-workers. Whilst a group of workers don’t need to be best friends or for that matter even socialise out of work, it is important that they get along within their working environment. You can help this by encouraging a good working atmosphere, listening to ideas, being open to comments and share a common business vision as well as the occasional laugh and pleasantry. Employees want a challenge but they also want people who will listen to their ideas, who will share a laugh, and who will share a common vision for the work done as a team.
7. Work-Life balance. People don't leave their personal lives at the door when they come to work. Sometimes the pressures of personal life can be overwhelming, but this may be only temporary such as an illness or death in the family. Compassion and flexibility are needed in these extreme times, and even in the not-so-extreme times such as day-to-day personal challenges your staff members may face. Understanding what makes your staff tick is a big step towards getting a greater commitment and personal effort in everything they undertake in their working roles.
8. Work culture. Employees look for a company that makes them feel comfortable and where the culture fits their personality and work style. Value your employees by creating a working environment that makes them want to come to work.
9. A sense of purpose. Most people find happiness at work when they feel connected to the core purpose of the organisation. Doing something they love creates a positive attitude, just as working towards a common goal within the organisation creates a real sense of purpose.
10. Empowerment. Quit micromanaging and scavenging to save every cent on photocopying. It is a waste of everyone’s time. Empower your people to manage their own job roles and make logical economic decisions. The results are far more likely to show you more effective ways to cut costs and raise profits than you ever could by cutting back on photocopy paper and ink cartridges.
Knowing your work team starts by being with your people. Mingle with your staff on a daily basis. Encourage the door of communication to become open and comfortable. Interact; allow issues or problems to be discussed before they become a major crisis!
On the whole, it is true that the greater majority of employees hang onto their jobs because they rely on their weekly pay cheques. But if things change or something better comes along, how quickly would that assistant who does everything, leave you? Or that sales person who keeps your cash flow turning over, turn you over? Stop to think about it then start thinking about ways you can change the attitudes of your employees from having to work in your business to wanting to work for your business.
Once your people know you do care about them as individuals and not just as someone to fill slots on the schedule, you have taken a great step toward full employee engagement and that leads to greater profitability all round.
(c) 10x Limited 2011.
