Why is Taking Care of your Employees so Important?
We’ve all heard the quote, “Take care of your employees, and they will take care of you.” What does this really mean for a business owner? It’s true that if your employees are happy at work, they will likely work harder and be a better customer service source. Employees who feel that their boss doesn’t care about them or acknowledge their hard are much more likely to show that dissatisfaction while doing the job. This kind of negativity can come out in their quality of work, and how they take care of your customers. Here are some tips for avoiding issues with employees, and ensuring their happiness at work. After all, they are crucial to your business’ growth!
Relate to your employees; don’t feel above them
When your customers feel like they can’t talk to you about issues in their life or that you won’t care or understand, they won’t feel happy at work. If an employee can’t make it to work because of a family emergency, try to be understanding. Of course this doesn’t mean you should let them walk all over you, but do try to put yourself in their shoes. As an employer, sometimes employees will put you on a pedestal and think of you as being above them. Go out of your way to show them you aren’t, and that you are human too. It’s necessary to get work done and be professional, but also make time to joke around and be friendly with your employees. Let your employees know you care about them more than just from 8-5 Monday-Friday. This will go a long way with your relationships with employees, and your business!
Do things that set you apart as a boss
Offer employee perks and incentives that are creative. Recognize when your employees do a great job and tell them how thankful you are for their hard work. You don’t need to spend a lot of money and time trying to make big incentive plans that will be costly to your business. Just simply recognizing when your employees go the extra mile, or receive positive customer feedback, really boosts morale. When you are creative with perks, your employees know that you really care about them, and you have their best interest in mind. This will help them to care about you and put your best interest in mind as well. Of course, having what’s best for you in their mind, they will want what is best for your business. This will result in customers going above and beyond to be hard-workers and complete quality work. To get your creative juices flowing, check out this article about perks that other companies have implemented: Click Here.
Be honest with your employees
When an employee asks you a question about their performance, be honest with them. They will be grateful to you if you let them know of something that needs improving ahead of time, instead of letting them continue on doing something wrong. They would prefer constructive criticism to losing their job later on, over something you could have fixed with them. If one of your employees needs help with their job or is completing a task incorrectly, help them. Instead of just telling them their work is sub-par and moving on, give them examples and ways to improve. Maybe even show them how you do it, and let them know you appreciate the effort they put into their work.
Be aware of the pay-to-expectation ratio
Of course you expect your employees to do great work and to have positive attitudes; that is necessary with any job. However, don’t overwork your employees to the point where they feel underappreciated. Make sure your employees wage is honest and they are earning what they work for. If your employees are being forced to do more than they agreed to, and work way too many hours, they will be burnt out. You don’t want the face of your company to be tired and unhappy. Let your employees earn raises, if possible. If that’s not in the books for your business, at least recognize and thank them for going above and beyond.
Keeping your employees happy really goes hand-in-hand with keeping your customers happy. Keeping your customers happy is vital to your business’ success! If you have disgruntled employees, try to find out why. Be personable with your employees and try to understand their point-of-view. If your employees feel appreciated and valued by you, it will absolutely come out in the work they do for your business!
For more insights on marketing strategy that actually works for small business, subscribe to the FreshLime Newsletter here. Connect with Jay Bean, Founder of FreshLime and Small Business Marketing Expert on LinkedIn and Twitter. And last of all, if any of these tips have helped you or if you have anything to add please comment below. We’d love to hear from you!