Little Things Go a Long Way: 10 Ways Great Employers Set Themselves Apart From the Rest

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Great Employers |Little Things Go a Long Way: 10 Ways Great Employers Set Themselves Apart From the RestReally quick now, how well do you treat your employees? How happy are they working for your business? Guess what, if they’re not happy, how well do you think they’ll perform? How much attention to detail will they give to their work? How long are they going to hang around?

It’s so important nowadays for businesses to care about their employees and treat them right, but if you’re left scratching your head for ideas, here are ten ways you can set yourself apart from the rest of the employers out there.

1. Be Honest

When you’re talking to employees, it’s something easy to not speak the truth, whether you’re distorting facts or flat-out lying. Instead, be honest. All great leaders can be trusted because they know the truth is what matters, and people respect that.

2. You Connect with Them

Whether you’re merely asking whether your employees are okay as they come into work in the morning, or you’re communicating with them as human beings, talking and connecting with your employees is essential for making your place of work the best place it can be.

3. Avoid Micromanaging

This point speaks for itself, but just as a reminder, you employed your staff because they are capable of doing what you employed them to do. Delegation is essential. Micromanaging is crippling.

4. Stay Cool Under Pressure

There are going to be times when things heat up, and how you deal with them defines you as a leader and a good business. Instead of passing the buck or pointing fingers, a good business stands up and aims to get things sorted. No throwing anyone under the bus; you’re a team!

5. Make Your Employees Feel Valued

There’s nothing worse than working for a company where you’re treated as though you’re nothing. It’s like the work you do doesn’t matter and the time you’re spending there could be done by anyone. Even if that’s the case, appreciating your employees for working for you will make them feel as though they’re spending their life on something that matters, and this will dramatically increase satisfaction rates.

6. Looking for the Best

When you look for the best in others, people are more likely to want to show it to you, so actively seek it out. Try to find what the best your team has to offer is, and encourage people to share what they have.

7. Credit Where Credit is Due

Just like taking the heat when the going gets tough when things are done well, it’s important to remember that everything was a team effort, not just ‘oh, the business is doing really well right now,’ because it’s your employees making that happen. Share the praise with them.

8. Invest

Whether you’re providing promotional opportunities, training courses, or even just giving your staff the time of day, if you’re not investing something, you won’t have happy employees. You can use services like ServiceNow HR for employee experience to highlight the best ways to do this.

9. Create a Team Spirit

Few businesses run with just one employee, which means you’re working as a team. Just because you’re delegating the team and telling them what to do, that doesn’t make you better than them; you simply just have more responsibility to help guide the team in the right direction. Everyone is in this together.

10. Inspire Your Staff

There’s nothing more demoralizing than going to work for a company that feels like a dead-end job. A good business will inspire their staff to encourage them to want to be the best versions of themselves, no matter what that version may look like.

Summary

There’s no denying there are endless ways to make your company stand out from the rest when it comes to how you treat your employees and creating a work environment that people actually want to be in. Be proactive with a growth mindset, and you’ll see beautiful things start to happen.

Pros And Cons Of Letting Employees Work Remotely

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Work Remotely|Pros And Cons Of Letting Employees Work RemotelyIn recent months there has been an increase in employees working remotely. This has largely been instigated by the pandemic crisis, and employers the world over are now getting the opportunity to see how remote working is possible for them.

Not every business has the means to offer remote working, of course, as many are not office-based. However, thanks to the cloud solutions now available, those businesses that can still function through remote working have the greater opportunity to survive into the future. For business owners, they might decide to focus more on this style of working, even after the current pandemic is over.

But here’s the thing. Remote working has its advantages, but even for those businesses that can allow for it, there still needs to be consideration of possible pitfalls.

These are the pros and cons of letting employees work remotely.

Pros

Flexibility – Employees don’t have to be tied down to a 9-5 working pattern when working from home. Provided they stick to their agreed contracts, they can work flexibly. This could include evening work instead of daytime shift patterns, and it can also include weekends. For those employees who need this flexibility, such as those who have a young family, a flexible working pattern can be a blessing.

A greater work/life balance – The rigors of the daily commute and long hours in the office can take their toll on some employees. Their work/life balance is lopsided towards the former, and this can be stress-inducing and frustrating for some. But with remote working, there is the opportunity to spend more time at home, and so some stresses can be avoided. This is great for improving the employee’s health and wellbeing, as there will be more opportunities to rest and relax outside of their working hours.

Financial benefits – For the business owner, it can be comforting to know that savings can be made. Remote working negates the need to rent office space, and there will be savings on utility bills too. This equates to a higher profit margin and more money to put away in case of another emergency situation.

Cons

Productivity – On the one hand, employees should be more productive if they can work from home. With no need to commute, and with fewer office distractions, it can be argued that more work should get done. However, there is the danger that the employee might work less when not being managed. Thankfully, this can be overcome with computer monitoring software, as the employer will then be able to track their employee’s progress.

Cybersecurity risks – The business network may be protected with antivirus software and other cybersecurity solutions, but the employee’s home network may not be. This could result in a data breach. There are ways to reduce security risks, however, such as a reminder to the employee of safety processes that need to be put in place, but there could still be added problems down the line.

Finally

We have only covered some of the pros and cons associated with remote working, so if you’re a business owner, you should continue your research online. For the short term, it can be fruitful, especially during this present time, but deliberate over the advantages and disadvantages when looking at the long term future of your business.

3 Things Every Office Needs To Be A Productive And Safe Place

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Office Safety|3 Things Every Office Needs To Be A Productive And Safe PlaceAs the UK’s third lockdown continues, the efforts to vaccinate the population against COVID-19 are ramping up. This means that it is crucial for employers to start looking to the spring where, hopefully, many offices that have been closed for weeks or months will be able to start opening up again.

While the vaccine will do a big part in reducing the threat of COVID-19, there is the need to ensure that social distancing and safety practices continue. In order to be productive employees will need the assurance that their safety is their boss’s top priority.

A Clear Social Distancing Policy

Many people will be heading back to the office following the latest lockdown. It is vital that your employees feel safe in your office to be productive. This means that any office, no matter what type of work is done there will need to ensure they have a clear social distancing policy.

This should include a requirement to wear face coverings when moving about the office, staggered working times to limit the number of people in the office at one time and clear barriers between desks if your office space is open plan.
If your staff do not feel safe and protected at work, it will affect morale and undoubtedly lower productivity and staff retention. It has never been more vital that you prioritise the safety of your staff members.

Professional Cleaning Services

The need for professional cleaning services has never been greater. While every staff member can do their part to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 by regular hand washing and cleaning their own workspace, it is vital that you engage the services of a professional cleaning company for deep cleaning.

An expert commercial cleaning company will have the tools and equipment needed to do a deep clean of all areas of your office space. Ideally, you should choose a professional service that is accredited by major UK bodies like SMC Premier. This company is registered with a number of UK institutions such as the British Institute of Cleaning Science (BICsc), and their company priority and ethos puts safety first.

An Open Dialogue

These are uncertain times, and your employees will be feeling the strain of the ongoing pandemic. It is essential that you check in regularly with your employees, so they feel heard and kept in the loop on business developments.

You should discuss with your team the steps you are taking to keep them safe and let them know what is expected of them while they’re in the office. It would be best if you also kept them update on business operations to provide reassurance that their jobs are secure.

Your staff may also be struggling with their mental health during these challenging times, so as their employer, you should try to do all you can to help promote mental wellbeing. Engage with open discussions about mental health to remove the stigma and provide signposting to mental health resources they can use if they feel they are struggling.

5 Ways to Boost Collaboration within Your Remote Team

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StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Collaboration with Remote Team|5 Ways to Boost Collaboration within Your Remote TeamWhether you’re working out of a shared office space or remotely, effective collaboration among your team is vital to your success. It’s important to facilitate communication between coworkers and ensure you’re approachable as a manager. If your employees are currently working from home, you need to maintain a certain level of collaboration remotely. There are several advanced tools you can use such as task or project management software, or video conferencing. You could also consider renting a coworking office space, to work together in person. Here are five ways to boost collaboration within your team.

Invest in the right tools

If your team is working remotely, they will need access to the best online communication tools. Ensure each employee is comfortably set up at home with an ergonomic workspace and strong internet connection. You also may need to consider supplying them with updated equipment. Train your team and make sure they’re confident using video conferencing and cloud-based software.

Consider a coworking space

You could also consider renting a coworking space on a short-term basis. You can choose whether to hot desk or rent a semi-private or private office. This way you can work together in person but you won’t have to worry about renting or buying an office permanently. You and your team will have access to all the necessary amenities without any extra expense. It’s an ideal solution for startups and small businesses.

Daily catchups

There are many benefits of daily standups and you can recreate these remotely. Have a set time in the morning to check in with the entire team. Ensure everyone is aware of their daily goals and give them the opportunity to ask any relevant questions. Daily catchups are also a nice way to start the day, maintain a friendly environment, and boost morale. If you prefer, you could include a quick quiz or a game as an ice breaker.

Task management software

If you invest in the latest task management software, you’ll be able to track your remote team’s schedule and daily activities. This is a useful way to judge whether each member of your team is spending the right amount of time on tasks, or if they need more time. You can also use this data to learn ways you can be more productive and look for areas of improvement. Your staff will also be able to communicate through this cloud-based application and update their progress as and when in real-time.

Communicate your mission

In order to successfully grow your business, you need to communicate your mission and vision to your employees and get them on board. The best mission statements are inspiring, not only to potential customers but also to the people that work for you. Articulate your company’s values and your plans for the future. Employees prefer to feel part of something important, that also aligns with their own principles. Make them proud to work for your company. This will help to create more engaged and motivate staff and boost collaboration.

6 Strategies for Improving Employee Productivity

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The more productive your employees, the better for your business. But it can be hard to get employees to actually be productive. There are always a few gems who will go above and beyond, who complete their work early and wonderfully… but those are rare. Most employees won’t do more than what’s expected of them, because what’s the point? However, unproductive employees could do severe damage to your business’s reputation, since you may be behind on certain orders or have unsatisfied clients. While you are the boss and it’s your job to delegate, you need to know that your employees will do their work even if they aren’t being supervised 24/7. Keep reading to find out what you can do to improve employee productivity.

Training

Training will equip your employees with a lot of skills that can help them be more productive. You can even send them for training on how to maintain motivation, since productivity can’t exist without motivation. They may even feel grateful for the opportunity to have received the training and decide to show their appreciation by being extra productive. Either way, training will definitely improve productivity in the workplace. Training during Covid-19 is still possible in most places, as long as it complies with regulations and you take the necessary safety precautions.

Give them proper technology

While a lack of productivity often comes directly from the employees themselves, it can also be possible that working with old or outdated technology is slowing down their work. It can be incredibly frustrating to work with equipment and have it be a constant struggle, and if the technology they’re given is slow, their productivity will be negatively affected, no matter how motivated they are. You can’t expect modern results and productivity without giving them modern equipment. You might not be able to afford new technology right now, but see if there are any updates that you can run. If not, you need to accept the fact that your employees will never reach their full potential for productivity.

Incentives

If all else fails, bribe them. Okay, to be fair, incentives aren’t exactly bribery; more like rewards for good behavior. If you’re struggling to get your employees motivated and productive, your best bet is going to be to offer them incentives. Very few employees will go out of their way to be productive if there’s nothing in it for them. That being said, they’re more than likely to do it for money. Incentives are simple: the better their work, the more money they’ll get. There are various ways of designing employee incentive programs, so you should easily find a program that works for you as well as your employees.

Monitor

While you may not be able to watch your employees every second of their working day, there are ways of lighting a fire under them. If you pop into their office every now and then at random, they’ll never know when to expect you, and therefore always be on their best behavior. There are also ways of managing remote workers. There are apps that can tell you what time they logged on and off their computer, so that you can monitor how much time they’re putting in and ensure that they are working as many hours as they should.

Communicate

Miscommunications or misunderstandings can lead to work being done in the incorrect way. Of course, this means that that work will need to be redone and all the time spent on it was wasted. It’s your responsibility to communicate any instructions and deadlines very clearly to your employees, and it’s their responsibility to ask you for clarification if thy don’t understand you clearly. Being able to communicate effectively will help make your entire business run smoother. Employees are more likely to be productive if they know exactly what they need to do.

Remote work

If you have nay employees who you know are responsible enough to work from home, you should consider letting them. This will allow you to spend more time focusing on less-productive employees and you may even be able to pinpoint what is causing them to be unproductive, and work form there to fix it. Some employees may even be more productive while working from home, without the distractions of their coworkers. As mentioned, there are still ways to monitor remote workers, so that doesn’t need to be a worry. If there are less people in the office, the distractions will be less and your employees may be able to concentrate on their work. You may even like it so much that you decide to run your entire business with remote workers.