Top tips to have more productive staff
Despite the fact that staff can make or break a business, many managers and business owners treat their employees with contempt and feigned interest. It is thus no surprise why so many businesses struggle to keep staff for longer periods and why their efficiency and productivity is never going be 100%.
At times, employees can be a handful and can seem to be more of a headache than it’s worth and as business owners sometimes we question why we bothered in the first place. If you want your business to grow however you don’t have choice – you will only be able to go so far on your own.
So what can you do to entice your employees to stay a bit longer, and how can you create a more harmonious and enjoyable work culture?
Our top tips are:
- Treat your staff how you would like to be treated by your manager
- Pay a fair wage, at least meeting industry minimum’s
- Don’t discipline staff in front of other employees – resolve and discipline behind closed doors
- There is no need to yell at, and verbally abuse staff
- Celebrate wins and successes, and give praise where deserved
- Recognise good performers and reward them with random small gifts
- Coach and guide your poor performers, don’t just criticise or belittle them
- Don’t micromanage – if you hire someone to do a job then let them do it without your constant interruptions and requests for progress reports
- Promote a culture of education and continuous development – provide your staff with a means to develop their skills
- Listen to recommendation from your staff, they tend to see things from a different angle and may have a better understanding of processes and even customer needs than you do
- Involve your staff in the growth of your business – share your future vision with them and get them actively engaged with this vision
- You are not running a business to become best friends with your employees – be polite and friendly, but always keep a professional distance and don’t forget you are the boss
- Lead by example – set the standards and never go below
- Be decisive – some employees will try to take advantage of you if you come across unsure and indecisive
- Be prepared to take firm action when needed, but only if it’s justified
- If you are having business problems keep it to yourself, don’t tell everybody and don’t walk around sombre and depressed
- Smile, be energetic and your enthusiasm will rub off on your team!
It’s not hard to look after your staff and keep them happy. And if you are ever unsure, ask yourself ‘how would I want to be treated by my manager?’