Having a strong workforce that are willing to go above and beyond for you and your company is the foundation which all entrepreneurs and business owners wish they had. We’ve put together our 4 favourite steps to make this happen!
#1: Make your business a pleasant place to be
No one wants to stand around in a dingy, boring space for hours on end. Having a well-lit, functional and fun space makes work a lot more pleasant. The first step is to make sure the environment is well-kept and that you have updated, working equipment.
This doesn’t mean you have to refurbish your premises! Ideas include tea and coffee making facilities or a seating environment where they can eat lunch away from their workspace. Storage and office stationery to keep environments tidy are also a great investment for your employees’ happiness.
#2: Let them know you trust them
Having a trusting professional relationship with your employees is the key to having a successful workforce. A way to generate trust is to slowly give more responsibility to your employees and see if they rise to the challenge. If you let them know you trust and depend on them, they will fill those shoes sooner than you think. A vote of confidence can go a long way!
Another way of gaining trust instead of adding more onto a member workload could be a simple task of opening or closing the retail showroom. While it’s an everyday task, it is very important and requires a high level of trust to be executed correctly.
#3: Radiate positivity and have an open-door policy
Being enthusiastic and wanting staff to feed off that positive energy is important. Because culture is so important in the workplace, playing music and being able to freely talk between one another means they can build a relationship with each other as well as management staff. This pushes the idea of work hard play hard.
At Award Leisure having an open-door policy is crucial for all management staff because all staff members need to feel like they can talk to anyone at any time, whether its work related or not. We encourage Wellness and peace of mind, feeling anxious or worried is not good in a workplace and reduces efficiency and effective work. We are massive advocates of “A problem shared is a problem halved”.
Consider working hours and holiday allowance – it is important to ensure staff feel valued and have time to relax. If you appreciate their work and provide enough holiday allowance, they will feel happier and therefore likely to care and give more to their job.
#4: Reward and offer opportunities for advancement
Your employees are more motivated when they know they’re working towards a personal goal or target. If they think there’s no opportunity for progression, they will soon become demotivated. Nobody wants to work a dead-end job.
Motivate your employees by offering training that gives them the skills they need to climb their career ladder. Giving them these skills and opportunities not only allows them to see what they are capable off, but it also allows them to vision what they want from the future and where they see themselves.
Having a strong work force who are motivated and feel valued is a vital part in being successful as a business. Just remember as an employer, you were once an employee to someone – think and treat your employees they way you expected to be treated when you were in their shoes.
‘This is the only country in the world where today’s employee is tomorrow’s employer’.
