In each and every company, it is the employees that form the heart and soul of everything. How well you maintain your relationship with them can determine the degree of success you are able to achieve, whether in the everyday developments or for the long haul. In addition to retaining your present workforce, you would also need to acquire new employees, and for that, you need to take certain steps in the right direction.
Learn From Your Employees
Start by asking them what types of incentive they find the most appealing. Get to know what your employees like about working in your company, and about the changes they would like to see, and which could get them to keep working for you. By acting on the feedback you get here, you can also improve their loyalty, aside from getting an idea about what new recruits would be more easily drawn to.
Allow them to Use their Strengths
Always look for ways to allow your workers to use their strengths. People have an innate need to keep doing the things which they do skillfully. Even if something falls just outside their job description, you can offer your employees chances to shine by setting up activities at which they know they can perform better than others. This helps them evolve and grow professionally, and also leaves them feeling more valued and respected for the contributions they made towards your company.
Provide Recognition
When someone does something well, takes an extra effort towards doing it, or does it better than they usually do, ensure that you take the time to acknowledge their contribution. In addition to that, ensure your overt praise is dispersed evenly through all levels of the organization, and hint to the acknowledged employee’s balanced career. If you start acknowledging some workers and not others, the latter could feel less appreciated, something that can cause the team morale to drop. However, if your workers know that you will call out their names for a job well done, you will be surprised at how fast and well most of them respond to changing work needs.
Build a Sense of Community
This is just as important as everything that you do towards worker-management. All employees like to feel that they belong where they are and that others would care if they were to quit. You may not be able to form a team of like-minded individuals, but you can certainly take measures to reinforce the sense of community among coworkers. Well-stocked break rooms, team-building exercises, and collaborative assignments can all help you forge good connections inside your team.
