Employees are the backbone of any business. That’s why disengaged employees are a death sentence for your company. But how do you, as a business owner or manager, make sure your employees stay committed to their work, their coworkers, and your business, in general? Believe it or not, your competition can teach you a thing or two about employee relations. (Tweet this) School’s in session for employee engagement.
Things to Imitate
While we certainly don’t suggest copying your competitors (after all, you need your own unique HR solutions to set you apart), there are times when it’s beneficial to learn from their success. Great employee engagement practices are an example of this. Here are some “dos” to take away from successful competing businesses.
- Do make specific goals and stick to them. Those small businesses that have the right environment and staff didn’t get that way by chance. Define the culture you want within your organization. Keep that culture in mind when interviewing job candidates and creating employees’ workspaces.
- Do hire people with the right qualities for your company’s culture. Skills can be taught, but getting someone to mesh with your vibe is a difficult task. This may mean hiring the less-skilled candidate because s/he has the right qualities.
- Do let go of some control. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Give your employees room to grow. Sure, they’ll make mistakes, but that’s often the best way to learn. Put HR solutions in place that track progress, so employees come to trust each other.
- Do consider company values in all decisions. Making decisions based solely on financing isn’t always in your best interest. Decisions based on core values lets employees know you stand for something. It helps them better engage in those values, too.
- Do act without dramatic emotion. Mistakes happen in every business at one point or another. When situations arise, responding calmly and rationally greatly improves employee relations by showing workers they can comfortably come to you with problems.
Things to Avoid
Just as successful businesses can offer insight into the best ways to improve employee relations, unsuccessful ones can show you what not to do. Check out these “don’ts” of good employee engagement.
- Don’t create an Employee of the Month Program. While it may seem like a simple way to boost morale, it actually leaves employees, except one, feeling unappreciated. A better alternative is to let the team vote each month, and call it “Colleague of the Month.”
- Don’t stop at free food for everyone. While bringing in breakfast or providing a staff lunch boosts morale, it’s not enough to reward each employee for their contributions. So, by all means, give away food, but don’t consider that the bulk of your employee engagement program.
- Don’t ignore work efforts when offering rewards. If one employee continually goes the extra mile, and another simply completes a task on time, don’t give the latter a more significant or equal reward. To avoid this disaster, put goals and programs in place with specific rewards for each step completed.
- Don’t assume employees want to wear something with your logo on it. This applies to t-shirts, motivational jewelry, etc. When purchasing employee gifts, consider products that will have significant value to the recipient.
- Don’t undervalue employees. If you’ve just been recognized as the best business in your niche, for example, a simple free coffee for staff members won’t suffice. Match the reward to the achievement.
Employee relations are crucial to the success of your business. Reward workers for a job well-done, cultivate and maintain a specific company culture, and recognize achievements to strengthen employee engagement. Remember, engaged employees help your business soar. Take a clue from your competition and put your own spin on employee engagement. (Tweet this)
This article first appeared at M.J. Management Solutions, Inc.
MJ Management Solutions, Inc., is a human resources consulting firm that provides small businesses with a wide range of virtual and onsite HR solutions to meet their immediate and long-term needs. From ensuring legal compliance to writing customized employee handbooks to conducting sexual harassment training, businesses depend on our expertise and cost-effective human resources services to help them thrive.
