When you become an employer, you want your employees to be as productive and professional as possible. However, you can’t just expect that every individual who approaches you for a role will achieve this. This is why it’s so important that you select the right individuals and do everything in your power to give them the tools (both physical and mental) to succeed! So, let’s take a few moments to look through a few different ways to get the most from your workforce!
Being Selective When Hiring
When you’re recruiting new employees, you want to pick the cream of the crop. However, so many people are looking for jobs that you’re likely to be flooded with applications as soon as you advertise a position within your company. You’re going to have to be selective and sift through each application to find the individuals who shine and stand out. Here are a few ways to determine who you should employ!
Checking Qualifications and Past Experience
When you advertise your job, you should request a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) detailing the individual’s education, qualifications, and past experience. You can then work out who has sufficient knowledge and experience to thrive in your company. Being aware of the kind of individual you are seeking will make this process much easier. If you need an individual with good written communication skills, for example, you should keep an eye out for applicants with English degrees. If the position you’re applying for is more hands-on, you should look for previous experience in the field where they would have had the chance to build up their skill set.
Requesting References
While qualifications and experience may seem admirable on paper, you want to ensure that the individual they are legitimate and that they have put their qualifications to good use and excelled in their previous positions. So, it’s always a good idea to ask for proof of their qualifications (such as certificates), and references. Getting into contact with one of their previous employers or clients can allow you to build up a reliable picture of the individual, such as whether they’re reliable and productive.
Conducting a Criminal History Check
If your brand deals with vulnerable individuals (such as children, the elderly, or the disabled), you may need to carry out a criminal history check by law. However, you are also within your right to request a check for this anyway. A standard check will go through any police records and inform you of any unspent convictions, allowing you to make a safer recruitment with a complete understanding of the individual’s past behaviour in regards to the law. Even if you don’t carry out the check, you can ask for individuals to check boxes detailing whether they have any unspent convictions as part of your screening process through the application.
Ensuring They Have the Most Up-to-Date Software
No matter how great your employees might be, you need to bear in mind that it will be impossible for them to thrive if they don’t have the right equipment to complete their work. One of the most important pieces of equipment in today’s business climate is software. Now, this may seem a little odd – after all, you can’t physically use it. But considering the sheer quantity of work that is carried out on computers, laptops, tablets, and even smartphones in the workplace, you need to make sure that all of your employees’ software is up to date and upgraded at any given opportunity. At first, you might want to stick to pre-existing software which is designed for the mass market. It has a slightly lower price tag and is great for general use. However, as your projects evolve, you may find that you need something a little more specific that may not exist yet. The good news? You don’t have to hang around merely hoping that it will be developed. Instead, you can collaborate with a company such as Svitla Systems for custom web application development. These experienced individuals will be able to create and develop apps which will meet all of your business needs and requirements. A brief consultation will help you to establish what you need from your software to make your employees’ work as efficient and effective as possible. Professionals will then bring your ideas to life! Remember that the more effective your software is, the less time your employees will have to spend wrestling with in-app problems and difficulties. Instead, they can focus their efforts on other areas that will help to bring your company further forward in its venture.
Conducting Team Building Activities
Individual brilliance is desirable in an employee. It’s great to have workers who can work independently and just get the job done. But you should also encourage team building at the same time, as many hands make light work and teamwork can help your business to progress and move forward. If your employees can combine their various skill sets and strengths, they are likely to overcome problems and issues faster and more effectively. So, how do you break the ice between your employees and encourage positive and productive communication? The answer is team building. While most people will sigh or roll their eyes as soon as “team building” activities are announced, they are actually pretty effective when put into action. Sure, they may make everyone feel a little awkward at first, as people will inevitably be pushed a little outside of their comfort zone, but they will quickly get into the swing of things. Team building activities create the opportunity for your employees to break the ice with one another. This can result in more positive relationships between different team members, meaning that communication within the workplace will be more natural and effective. There are various activities that you can try out yourself, so let’s take a look at a couple.
Picture Games
Communication is essential when it comes to employees working together in harmony and one great game to help build communication between your staff members is a picture game. You can fit one quick picture game into the morning of each day in the office and it need only take fifteen or twenty minutes out of the day. Split your employees into pairs. Then write a common item on enough pieces of paper so that every pair can have one each. One part of each pair should receive the piece of the paper and the other half of the pair can’t see what it is. It’s then up to the first person to communicate what it is that is on the paper to the other individual (without saying its name) while the second person draws what they think it might be. After an allocated period of time, all employees will compare pictures to see who communicated instructions the most effectively. Then allow the pairs to switch roles and attempt to carry out the alternative role.
Treasure Hunts
If you don’t mind sparing a little extra time to team building, you should consider setting up a treasure hunt. We are all familiar with the concept of a treasure hunt and generally speaking, the concept will induce nostalgic memories of years gone by, conjuring up positive associations with productive teamwork and how it helped us in the past. Yes, back in our youth, the final reward may have just been a chocolate treat or a fun toy and the prize at the end of the hunt that you offer may be similar. However, the prize itself isn’t particularly important. What is important are the skills acquired in the chase for the reward. These could include effective time management, collaboration and problem-solving. All of these skills can be applied in the office or shop floor later. You can also incorporate the use of advanced technology into your hunt, familiarizing your employees with new hardware (such as tablets and newly released smartphones) or software (such as GPS, tracking, and new apps).
As you can see, getting the most from your employees may entail a whole lot work on your part than you might have initially imagined. But consider your time, effort, and financial input an investment. After all, the harder working your employees are, the more profits your company is likely to generate!
