words Al Woods
If you want to ensure that your employees are going to be loyal to your business then you need to ensure that they are feeling valued in their positions. Even if it’s not entirely perfect there is so much you can do to avoid your people feeling anything less than happy to be there with you. You are a business leader and it’s vital that your leadership is solid, and the only way to do that is to work on what you can offer.
Your employee support services should be at the forefront of your planning and even if it’s a work in progress, your actions matter. You want improved performance and better employee turnover, and it’s your responsibility to ensure this happens. So, how do you do it? Let’s take a look!
- Recognise their hard work. Your employees aren’t working for you for free, but they are also in need of more than just a salary. They have to be able to go to work and know that they are doing a good job and the way to do that is to show that you recognise their work. It can come in so many forms and in the smallest of ways, but recognition needs to be a top priority for you.
- Ask what they think. You are a leader, but you are also someone who works with others. Would you want to be dictated to? Would you want people to ignore you if you have good suggestions? Well, as a leader you have to solicit the opinions of your team and then use them as much as possible. You then have to consider how things can be improved and bring it right back to recognition of your team.
- Offer direct compensation. Gifts? Yes but make sure those are money gifts. More than anything, people want to have extra cash to afford to live and they can’t do that if you’re giving them pizza and nuggets on a friday. Remember, they’re not five! Give people their benefits and make sure that they feel appreciated along the way. The best thing you can do is ask people what they want!
- Give them a challenge. No one wants to come to work and feel like their work is worthless. It’s up to you to then provide them with a good challenge and ensure that they feel like what they do is worth something good. So, show up and let them grow and develop properly and you’ll ensure that your team is happier.
- Celebrate everyone’s anniversaries. People want to be remembered and if you have a calendar of anniversaries of start dates, make a point of making a big deal of them! Celebrate with a meal or at least a thank you for their hard work for the entire year. People want to be seen and heard and you can do that when you acknowledge that they have spent their time and expertise serving you. Your business will benefit and your team will feel valued.
