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8 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Employees

Managing a team is never easy. Different personalities and working styles make it a constant challenge. But your employees are your most valuable asset and you need to find ways to manage and support your workforce so they are motivated to do the best job possible. Not investing in your team’s happiness will leave them disengaged and at risk of leaving the organization. On the other hand, a happy worker will do everything in their power to help the business reach its goals. Here are 8 tips that will guide your employees’ growth and help you get the most out of them.

1. Set Clear Goals and Expectations

Make sure to establish clear goals so your employees understand what is expected from them right at the beginning. An employee cannot perform to their full potential if they do not know what their responsibilities are and the results they need to achieve. Avoid using vague goals, such as “providing the best customer service”. Interpretation can, and will, vary from one individual to another. Having a clear and specific goal, such as “receiving a satisfaction score of 90% from customers”, gives employees more direction and a clear objective they need to reach. Ensuring that their goals are measurable and realistic can provide a good foundation of where your employees need to begin.

2. Establish Good Communication

Be open and transparent with your team by clearly communicating your company’s vision and goals. This can be facilitated through regular face-to-face meetings (or web meetings during the current pandemic) to go over progress, project updates, and next steps for the team. This will help ensure everyone in the team is on the same page, and help them feel more comfortable in communicating any issues or feedback. Don’t leave any room for misunderstandings, or you can bring down your team morale.

3. Recognize Your Team’s Value

If your employees do a great job, let them know! This will make them feel valued and will encourage them to continue to go above and beyond. When their efforts go unnoticed, employees will feel unappreciated and may not put in the same effort moving forward. Giving praise no matter how small an achievement can go a long way. Conduct timely performance reviews to provide your team with feedback on what they have done well and areas that could be improved. Coaching your team and providing positive support will encourage them to perform at a higher standard.

4. Listen to Your Team

Your employees are the foundation of your business and a team isn’t a dictatorship. Your responsibility as their leader is to provide guidance. Your employees will contribute great ideas that can improve operations and solve difficult challenges, so it is vital that you listen to their input. You won’t just receive valuable feedback, you will also make your employees feel valued and a necessary part of the company. This will motivate them and improve your team morale.

5. Provide Employees a Flexible Work Environment

Flexible workplaces are becoming the norm in recent years due to changes in the business landscape and demographics, and especially during the current pandemic. Consider offering your workforce options, such as flexible work hours or work from home policies. Having these options available to employees can increase job satisfaction, help retain staff and lower turnover rates, and attract new talent. Most importantly, you are sending the message to your employees that you trust them.

6. Invest in Employee Development

It is crucial to invest in your company’s biggest asset, your employees. Training and developing your employees will make them more productive, engaged, and loyal. Especially with the new generation, they see training and development as a crucial factor within their roles. A study by Gallup found that 87% of millennials value professional career growth and development opportunities. Empowering your employees either through professional development or giving them more responsibility, such as taking ownership of a project, will make them feel that they are making a positive impact in their roles.

7. Empower Employees with the Best Technology

Look to invest in technology solutions that can automate your employees’ tasks to save them time and effort. For example, if your team uses manual methods, such as pen and paper or Excel spreadsheets to track time or submit time off, adopting a modern payroll solution has many advantages. Payroll processes can be automated, which reduces redundant and tedious tasks. Deploying these types of solutions will not just make your employees more productive, but it will also motivate them as the company is investing in solutions to support their staff and make their jobs easier.

8. Let Employees Take Risks

Encourage your employees to take risks (within reason, of course). It will demonstrate your trust in their work and judgement, making them feel valued and more confident. It will also promote a culture of innovation and growth. If you restrict your employees or micromanage them, they won’t be able to grow and reach their full potential. This may lead to employees’ dissatisfaction with their role, potentially increasing turnover rates for the company.

Closing Thoughts

To have a successful business, you need your employees to perform at a high level of competency. You can achieve this by supporting your team every step of the way, from setting goals, giving praise for a job well done, to supporting their professional development. The 8 tips we highlighted are not meant to be an exhaustive list, but to serve as a starting point for you and your team. Take these first steps to make your team feel valued and motivated so that they can perform to the best of their abilities, helping your organization reach its goals.

Acclaim is Paymate’s on-premise payroll solution for small- to medium-sized businesses in Canada. With a user-friendly interface and all the features you need to run payroll. Acclaim is a small package that can have a large impact on your payroll.

Clarity is Paymate’s on-premise payroll solution for medium- to large-sized businesses in North America. With robust reporting tools and modules for Human Resources and Time & Attendance, you can do more than just payroll.

Harmony is Paymate’s latest hosted solution for businesses of all sizes in North America that is fully modular in nature. With automatic tax table upgrades and your data stored on the cloud, you can do payroll anywhere, any time.