Employees are the backbone of any business; without them, companies would cease to exist! However, this is not always recognized by the employer, and employees can end up feeling unrecognized, underappreciated, and in turn, demotivated.
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Looking after your employees is not only essential to the wellbeing of a business, but also to the wellbeing of the workers, which are both intrinsically linked.
Here are some top tips for looking after your employees.
Go Above and Beyond to Help Them With Both Work and Personal Life
Our personal lives affect all other areas of life, from work, to responsibilities, to socializing. It is safe to say that if an employee is having a hard time behind closed doors, this will almost definitely affect their working life, too.
This does not just boil down to money; think of the ways in which you as an employer can use your power and connections for good. Improving the lives of your employees if you can is not only a wonderful gesture, but it also bodes well for a trusting and loyal work relationship, which is vital to any business.
Using software to manage employee–employer relationships might also help. For example, peoplexcd.com can help employers recognize if there has been a repeated absence or where employees are with their workflow. This allows an employer to recognize how someone is doing personally, and what they can do to help, or praise!
Back Employees Up With Clients
No one wants to work in a hostile environment, and while employers can have a decent amount of control over who they employ, they are not always as fortunate with clients. That being said, companies still have a large amount of control over who their clients are, depending on how big the company is, and it is important that this control is used with employees as a priority.
Putting employees before clients, for whatever reason, shows employees that how they are treated and how they feel matters. Do not tolerate clients who are unkind or unfair to employees, as that could be the reason they leave, rather than the actual job itself.
Be Honest and Open With Employees
Often in workplaces, there is some form of hierarchy, where the break room is separated by the supervisors, the floor workers, the managers, etc. It is common for everyone to know different bits of information and hear other bits through the grapevine. This can cause a lot of tension, and also make employees feel unequal. Involve everyone when it comes to big changes and new information, so that everyone knows they are on the same level.
Create Opportunities for New Experiences
It might be that Sarah from social media is actually a fantastic copywriter, but has not yet had the chance to give it a go; or maybe Tim from accounting is exceptional at drawing and would definitely benefit from contributing to the design team! Whatever it is, opening up new opportunities benefits everyone involved. Employees get to try out new levels of responsibility or work in different sectors and may find their new niche to thrive in, which can only be beneficial for a company. It also encourages employees to stay within the business, knowing that opportunities are not hard to come by and that change is not stagnant.