9 tips on how to get more from your employees

1. Give staff the freedom to do the job well

We all appreciate that for a business to run smoothly rules are needed, but we also need to acknowledge that as individuals grow in confidence in their roles, they should have an element of freedom in how they operate.

Make the job easier for people by removing barriers and ensure that individuals are well equipped to undertake their role with clear, consistent processes in place. It can be incredibly frustrating if equipment is sub-standard and slow or if processes are inefficient.

2. Remember salary isn’t everything

While pay levels will have a clear impact on recruitment and retention rates, relying solely on the financial makes the relationship with your staff transactional in nature.

To get longer lasting and more productive results, organisations need to acknowledge the value of an emotional attachment which provides loyalty, consistency and actions over and above the purely contractual.

This comes from being much more broadminded about what will attract, retain and motivate staff. By all means review salary packages to ensure people are paid in line with the market rate, but think about the wider benefits package and employment offering.

3. Measure the right things

Target setting and measurement will change depending on your strategic direction. KPIs are useful levers to encourage behaviours, so measure and highlight the things that will help the business achieve its goals.

Establish which ones are right for you and use those, rather than the ‘industry standard’. For example, a call centre shouldn’t link staff rewards to ‘call volume per agent’ if its strategic priority, and market differentiator, is good customer service.

4. Inspire competent management

As the saying goes, you don’t leave a job – you leave your manager. It is therefore worth paying attention to management skills which can make, or break, a team.

Opportunities for team members to provide feedback, and taking heed of any warning signs, will help you identify where potential concerns might be. By contrast, paying attention to the areas where team retention and performance are high will help you identify, highlight and share good practice.

5. Be visible and exhibit positive behaviours

You should be seen to be there and be part of the team. It is much easier to relate to someone you see in person rather than a name on an e-mail address. It is also much easier to speak to someone if they know who you are and that you have an understanding of what their average day looks like.

You should encourage the types of behaviours you want to see in your team, so if meetings are important to you, make sure you attend. If punctuality is important, display it. If you want your team to meet targets, make sure you provide clarity and support to achieve them.

6. Show people the path to career progression

Encourage people to see working in your organisation as a career, not just another job. Offer them the opportunity to gain exposure to other roles and functions within the business such as finance, HR and IT.

It is always worth exploring internal candidates for opportunities – in addition to building breadth and depth of knowledge in the organisation it assists with retention and sends a message that the organisation is committed to growing its own talent.

7. Listen to your staff

As well as communicating outwardly with your staff, it is also important that your staff feel valued and should know who to raise issues with if they have a concern, or an idea.

It is worth remembering that as the individuals at the front end of the business, they will have practical ideas which could benefit the company as a whole. By encouraging two-way communication, you will help individuals feel further engaged as they will have made a contribution that has been valued.

8. Achieving work-life balance

We all know the business has goals to meet, but the best employers acknowledge that individuals have domestic pressures too. It is proven that those with a work-life balance express more satisfaction in their jobs. By contrast individuals who are tired and stressed are likely to be less productive.

As higher levels of engagement and production tend to be seen in those individuals who have flexibility in how they work, it is worth considering enabling flexible working that recognises the different domestic circumstances of the varied employees within your business.

9. Use the exit process to learn from mistakes

When employees resign, it’s all too easy to just ignore them. Instead conduct exit analyses with those who are leaving and, most importantly, act on the findings.

Individuals who are leaving are a great source of information – ignore them and you could miss out on one of the most valuable sources of feedback you have regarding employee engagement.

Helen Darbyshire is an experienced HR adviser who has been advising businesses on HR and employment issues for many years. If you have an HR issue you want to discuss, email Helen or call her on 01772 258321.