If you were to ask a passer-by in the street whether they were content or satisfied with their job, the likelihood of them answering with a firm ‘yes’ isn’t that great. How would you feel if you were to find out that your employees were not comfortable in their positions? Do you feel as though you do enough to show your appreciation for their time, and provide them with the right means to do their jobs well? If you have any doubts regarding these questions, you may be going wrong somewhere within your managerial role. You’re bound to lose sight of your ethos and become unfocused at some point during your career, but acknowledging your need to spend more time making your staff happy is the first step to regaining control and bettering your chances of success. Without your workforce, you would not be where you are today, so if you want to learn how to give back and increase their productivity and commitment to their role as a result, then read on to discover some top tips on how to treat your staff to ensure ultimate job satisfaction.
Allow Them Space To Grow
One of the worst things an employee can feel is that they are trapped in their role with no chance of progression. Almost every member of staff will be able to find motivation to perform to their full capabilities when offered the opportunity to grow and gain a higher rank and pay. By encouraging your employees to work harder and prove themselves as worthy for a new role with more responsibilities, their productivity should see an increase and you will also need to provide them with less training than you would an external candidate due to the time they have already spent within your business. If you offer no room to progress in your business, your most valuable staff will begin to feel limited in their role due to their natural need to improve themselves, meaning they may end up wishing to seek employment elsewhere. To avoid any chances of this happening, it’s a great idea to offer some kind of in-house training and qualifications that you can offer to those who are genuinely interested in bettering themselves. This is a wonderful way to show employees that you are truly invested in their development, whilst also benefiting productivity and efficiency too.
Reward Their Hard Work
By offering your staff some kind of reward when they complete their work to an exceptional standard, they will feel much more appreciated due to your acknowledgment of their hard work and commitment. Rewards can come in all shapes and sizes, from personalised enamel pins that they can wear with pride throughout their workday to a team day out to celebrate reaching a goal or target. Any kind of benefit or prize that you offer will be accepted with open arms, and your workforce will be so much more driven to get the job done to a great standard in record time. When you take the time to individually recognise the benefits they are bringing to your company, your staff will begin to develop their dedication to their role and put a greater emphasis on their day to day commitment. If you fail to offer rewards then your staff will see no point to putting in that extra bit of hard work, and their motivation to help your business grow will be at an all-time low.
Organize Team Building Activities
Team building activities are a great way to encourage a more positive working environment and allow you to get to know your staff properly and identify some of their basic strengths and weaknesses. As a business owner, it’s important that you do not put yourself on a pedestal and treat your employees as lesser beings, as though you have a greater responsibility, you are all still equal and valuable assets. Sometimes work politics can create a negative space for your staff to operate in, so setting out some different tasks that will motivate them to converse with one another and build a better relationship at the same time, You will also be able to adapt their role to suit them personally if you take the chance to assess their performance during the activity, and this will make their working day much more fruitful. There are so many different tasks you can organise for you all to get involved with that are fun and educational at the same time, so do some research and get planning.
Set An Example
As a business owner, you have to set the right example for staff in order to gain their respect and encourage them to mirror your behaviour and act in a professional and constructive way. By always taking the time to use manners appropriately, such as thanking your employees for their time and saying please upon requesting that something gets done. This is a basic level of respect that should never be overlooked or forgotten, and once your staff can see your emphasis on treating each staff member with dignity, they will follow suit. Try to be as open and honest as you can with your employees, as trust in your boss is definitely a key factor when it comes to job satisfaction. If your staff does not have faith in your abilities or the words that you say, they will doubt the security of their role and even the success of the business itself. Failing to set the right example will have terrible implications on your company, as you are essentially the face of it all and your actions are always going to be at the center of attention. Instead, take advantage of this and encourage peaceful and productive conduct amongst your entire workforce.
Be Available
Making yourself available at any time for staff members to discuss any issues they may be having is such a vital thing to consider. If you are always locked away in your office and do not put yourself out there to answer any questions or offer advice and information, your staff will not have any respect for your managerial skills as realistically they do not notably exist. Being there to support your staff through whatever is troubling them will allow you to gain their trust, and encourage them to want to give back via the work they are doing for your business. If you stay put inside your office, your workforce will have little confidence in your ability to run the company successfully and not have a reliable point of contact should they need to discuss something important. Take the time to visit each office or workspace on a regular basis to give your staff the opportunity to speak with you in person, and offer them your email should they like to send you their query in writing. Have an open door policy on your office, and let each individual know that you are always available.
Offer Flexibility Where Possible
There may be some instances in your business which a member of your workforce requests greater flexibility in their roles, such as working from home for a couple of days each week due to other family commitments. Though your automatic reaction is likely to be a no, you may want to reconsider this to suit your employee’s needs. Even though they will be completing their tasks out of the office, you will still be able to offer them access to the network and video call them should you to explain something verbally or visually in a way that cannot be done through email. They will still have the means to complete their work to their full potential and within the same timeframe, so there really is no reason not to offer some kind of compromise that will keep both parties happy. Do not hand out this privilege to every member of staff, just those who have a good reason for requiring flexibility and those that you can trust to still continue completing their tasks to a good standard no matter what the circumstances.
Treating your staff in a respectful and encouraging way is one of the key building blocks to business success. An unmotivated workforce that does not feel as though their hard work is valued will not commit themselves to their jobs, and your profits are likely to suffer as a result. By offering your staff more growth opportunities and specialised training, acknowledging their dedication to their role and setting up some fun activities to allow your staff to develop their teamwork skills, you can help to make sure that they are comfortable and happy to be a member of your brand. Setting an excellent example to show employees how you conduct yourself as the owner will set the tone for their own workings, so make yourself available for them to answer any questions and solve any troubles they may have. Remember that content and gratified staff carry out great quality work!
