Last week we set out some of the top things not to do in the workplace, but this week is all about what you should be doing. As an employer, the people who work for you are your biggest asset. You have hand-picked them, trained them, and you are relying on them to do their best for your business. However, no one has a good day every day, and it is imperative – both for your workers and for your business – that you take notice of any lulls in staff motivation and respond appropriately. So this week we are sharing our top tips to ensure top productivity and, more importantly, job satisfaction among your employees.
Although setting group goals and rewards is important, it is equally important to recognise the successes of your employees as individuals. It is also to work through problems on an individual level – perhaps one employee is struggling with something that the team as a whole is not, or perhaps an employee has a unique idea on how to solve a particular problem. Motivating each individual will also help the team to work better.
The best way to gauge how motivated your employees are… is to know them! Make a point of having face time with each one at one-on-one meetings. Get to know what’s going on with their lives and respect their schedules and non-work time. Have social events to encourage everyone in the workplace to get to know each other. One piece of advice people often give is to choose a boss you want to work for rather than a company – be that boss people want to work for.
This leads on to the next motivator – as well as being a personable boss, be a leader worth following. Set the tone in terms of communicating, speak to your staff the way you would want to be spoken to and encourage everyone to communicate well with each other. Give credit where credit is due and own up to mistakes to show your employees that you hold yourself to the same standards as you hold them.
Another responsibility of yours should be helping to create a good working atmosphere by radiating positivity and enthusiasm. Your employees spend most of their time at work, so make sure it’s a nice place to be. Don’t let staff get bored or too bogged down. Prioritise a work-life balance. Make the space itself pleasant and have traditions based on public encouragement, laughter and support.
It is important to be transparent with your employees. Start by being clear about your expectations. Operate an open-door policy so that staff can come to you with questions or concerns. Be open with employees about decisions being made at even the highest levels and give people chance to offer feedback at company meetings. Making employees feel included in big decisions will help to increase company loyalty and pride.
Show employees where they fit in the big picture so that they can see the impact their work has – making the job about more than a paycheck. Give them a say in how they do their job. Have regular meetings to discuss goals, progress, challenges and always make time to respond to questions. Give your employees responsibility and let them know you trust them. Encourage individuality and creativity by support new ideas.
Rather than think of rewards as an unwelcome necessity, think of them as a natural part of good business. Have a feedback system. Reward employees individually for certain things. Reward teams for certain things. Have afternoons off, lunches out, -staff parties. Incentives and rewards are there to show employees they are valued. What could be more motivating than that?
If you have any questions at all about good workplace practice, or any other Employment law or HR matter, please do not hesitate to get in touch via email at contact@davenportsolicitors.com or by telephone on 020 7903 6888.
