One of the most common mistakes I find employers make is knowing how and when to communicate effectively with their most valuable asset – their employees.
Praise is a powerful thing – it can lift moods, give a sense of pride and result in productive, engaged employees who are more likely to stay with their organisation. Giving your employees feedback (whether good or bad!) and letting them know how much you appreciate their efforts is a simple task, but I am often amazed at how many employers think it is unnecessary to provide this level of communication and then wonder why their best employees leave.
There is a great deal of research to suggest that praising employees at work can be beneficial, however, the way in which the praise is delivered has a significant bearing on its effectiveness.
It’s equally important to let your employees know when they are not reaching expectations – employers and management need to clear about what’s expected of their team, otherwise how do they know? Managers should be specific about which aspects of their team members’ performance have particularly impressed them, and give reasons why.
Throughout my career, I have always found weekly one to one meetings to be crucial – giving you time to review the last weeks performance and set out the next week’s key focus and objectives. It may take time out of your diary, but the results in the long run are invaluable. Keeping a record of your discussions with your employees, setting targets for improvement and regularly reviewing them is the basis for strong employee relations, and by doing this you are also giving yourself the opportunity to retain your best staff that can ensure your business success.
When you own and run a business, or if you are senior level management, why wouldn’t you want to surround yourself with your best and most motivated employees? After all, they do say that people don’t leave their job, they leave their boss!
For more information on how HR Alchemy can help you and your business with bespoke HR services, contact us today on 03338 802810.
