It’s wordy and sounds a lot like an organizational structure that involves an obsessive amount of hand-holding.
You hire your employees hoping that they will get the job done fast, efficiently, and without you having to stand over everybody’s shoulder. In many cases, worrying about customer retention and satisfaction is a huge part of any employer’s day.
But what about employee retention?
One of the easiest ways to promote productivity and excellent customer service is by creating an organizational culture that is employee-centric. Plain and simple: creating a team of employees that feel appreciated and motivated will propel your business into new and exciting territories.
1. ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE STARTS WITH A TEAM OF ALL-STARS
Employee-centric businesses hire with extreme caution. As the resumes start pouring in, they take time to find someone that is not only qualified, but that seems to exhibit the values of their company, products, etc.
Find your team of all-stars.
When interviewing a potential employee, consider the following:
• Will this person contribute positively to our work environment?
• Does this person understand the underlying values of our company?
• Will this person be easy to work with and to motivate?
2. DEVELOP COLLABORATION & EMPLOYEE APPRECIATION
Employees want to know that their ideas matter. Does that mean that every potential “what if” will make it to the drawing board? Probably not.
But letting employees branch out and work on teams to develop existing ideas could lend a much needed fresh perspective. Your employees should feel comfortable coming to you with suggestions for improvements.
When your employees do something extraordinary, make sure to compliment them on the spot. There are plenty of ways to let your team know that they are appreciated. While it may seem most helpful to focus on areas of improvement, taking time out of your day to let people know what they are doing well will inevitably reform even your weakest areas of performance.
3. KEEP EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION HIGH!
Figure out what motivates your employees.
Beyond the obvious bonus, are there ways you can encourage and challenge your workforce? Would coffee on Monday mornings make the beginning of the work week more bearable? Does a certain employee want to try out a different department or educate themselves regarding a different aspect of your business. If it is something you can accommodate, why not give it a try?
Obviously, every company will have to find their footing when it comes to creating a healthy and employee-centric organizational culture. Reassesing company values is always a good place to start. When you find a positive and hard-working employee, find ways that will motivate them to stay. Happy employees will create a happy business and happy businesses tend to be successful businesses.
What motivates you to get to work and do an awesome job? What are some ways in which your company could improve its retention?
Jeffrey Fermin is Officevibe’s cofounder and is in charge of all marketing efforts and business development for the company. Jeff has the pleasure of engaging with the Officevibe community where he talks, tweets and blogs about company culture and employee engagement. Reach him @JeffFermin
