If you want to compete in today’s increasingly competitive market, you need to develop effective strategies for getting your employees to work harder and better than ever before. This means ensuring continued motivation and continually recognizing (and rewarding) good work. Here are some ways to turn your employees into top-notch performers.
- Put the power in their hands. You should begin molding your employees the moment they step through the door on their first day of work. This means providing effective initial training and initiation for every new employee. Employee onboarding software is one great way to do this. Such software programs enable employees to explore materials on their own. Employees can use this software to take advantage of important documents, lectures, videos, and even formal meetings. This not only engages the new employee, it also allows for greater flexibility. This, in turn, can lead to an increase in organizational commitment, a reduction in occupational stress, improved job performance, and increased job satisfaction.
- Set a good example. Sure, you’re busy, but this doesn’t mean that you can just tell your employees what to do and leave the rest up to them. This not only makes you seem like some distant, impersonal entity to whom employees will be unable to relate, but it can also prevent you from recognizing potential problems before its too late. Instead of leading by command, instead lead by example. Give employees hands-on examples of what you expect. Perform a task in front of your employees to give them an idea of how they should be doing things. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty.
- Be familiar with your employees’ skill sets. Use your routine employee assessment to discover the various skills that your employees may be able to contribute to your business. Of course, this means getting to know your employees better, but that can be a really good thing for your company. If an employee in a particular department possesses skills that may make him or her an asset to other departments, provide cross training opportunities to explore existing employees’ potential. This motivates employees and provides you with a more skilled employee pool.
- Promote from within the company. Although it is an excellent idea to continue bringing new faces onboard, it can be highly discouraging when dedicated and tenured employees are passed over for a promotion in favor of a new hire from outside the company. You have worked hard to develop your employees and encourage their best work, so why not reward those who already have a working knowledge of your company? When you promote from within, employees are encouraged to work harder because they realize that it pays off in the long run.
- Work to strengthen your team. Any business is only as strong as its weakest link. Therefore it is in your best interest to devote your time and resources to employee professional development. This will create a strong team that can help steer your company to long-term success.
