To get the most from your employees consider the following:
Utilise external resources designed for staff development: there are lots of training programs and courses aiming to provide development for staff members. To get the most from staff members, employers should take advantage of these programs to expand on their team member’s knowledge and skills, enabling them to become more capable in their role and work more efficiently. This will also allow more staff members to progress within the company, moving into higher positions as the business continues to grow.
A healthy work-life balance is incredibly important: if you expect your employees to work long and/or irregular hours then you effectively destroy their hopes of having a personal life. Ensuring your employees have a work-life balance is important as they need time outside of work to rejuvenate and let off some steam. Employees that are restricted in their personal life often become demotivated at work, feeling the monotony of the routine of their job and having nothing else in their life to look forward to. Employers should make sure all employees have long enough breaks between shifts, are given plenty of holiday days each year and are encouraged to live a life separate from work.
Reward your employees: rewarding and commending your staff on their hard work goes a long way, it makes your employees feel more appreciated and helps to give them a sense of accomplishment. Rewards come in many forms, of course there are bonuses and monetary rewards, but there are plenty of other ways to reward your employees. Verbal recognition is the cheapest and easiest way to reward a staff member, alternatively you could try incentives such as a free lunch, vouchers for a popular shop or something simple like wine and chocolates. The reward doesn’t have to be massive, it is the gesture that is important and this gesture will be appreciated by your employees who will be encouraged to work harder.
Remember a happy working force is a productive one, being a good manager means knowing your staff and understanding what motivates them.