More often than not, simply offering a regular paycheck is not enough to encourage your employees to become seriously engaged with and satisfied with their work. Many businesses today want employees who are super dedicated and highly engaged with the tasks in front of them, as it makes sense – this translates to better business outcomes, raises productivity levels, and can often make the workplace a happier and more pleasant place to be for everybody involved. But most people aren’t like this – and if you’re putting the bare minimum into them as an employer, you can only expect to get the same back. So, here are some top tips to inspire your employees to do their best work.
#1. ‘Me Before We’:
Today, teamwork is key when it comes to running a successful business – but so many company managers and owners are putting so much emphasis on building strong teams that they end up forgetting that teams are made up of individuals. This can often lead to an overshadowed emphasis on individual employees, leading to team members who can often feel that they are nothing but cogs in a machine. Instead, working individually with employees to focus on their own natural strengths and talents, mentoring them through individual development that will translate to better team results.
#2. Improve the HR Situation:
If your business is like many of today’s startups, you may not have an in-house HR department – or any HR department at all. And whilst this might work well in some cases, it’s important to ensure that employees feel that they have somewhere to turn if any issues do come up. In addition to providing a safe place for employees to air any potential grievances, HR also takes care of a wide range of other key aspects of their employment, such as protecting their data and ensuring that they are paid on time. If an in-house HR department isn’t on the cards right now then it’s certainly worth looking into employee management software that can be used to ensure that all processes are carried out correctly.
#3. Make Employees Feel Special:
The idea that employees are there and paid to work and should simply get on with it is getting quite antiquated these days – and for good reason. There are plenty of different jobs to choose from and somebody who is highly talented and well qualified is certainly going to look elsewhere if they don’t feel valued or appreciated at work. There are several things that you can do to ensure that employees know that they are valued and special to the business as individuals, such as celebrating work anniversaries with them, allowing them to take their birthday off as an additional holiday, and simply making their first day at the company one to remember for all the right reasons.
#4. Listen:
Last but not least, employees tend to be more engaged with and dedicated to an employer who they know they can count on. Understand that your employees are human and be there to listen to and support them; this will earn their respect. And, employees with a great deal of respect for their employer tend to have better performance, loyalty, and engagement rates.
What do you need from your employer to be fully engaged with your work?
