Top Tips
The Secret to Keeping Staff Happy
A happy, highly motivated workforce is the key to any successful business and it is vital that owners and managers who are looking to attract and retain valuable employees recognize the need to make their business a better, more enjoyable place to work.
In order to help small business owners and managers keep their staff happy and motivated as well as create an enjoyable yet productive environment, David Robertson, Chief Executive of Bibby Financial Services has developed the following top tips:
- No ”us and them“ — treat employees as partners in the business and keep them informed about business performance and key decisions likely to affect them.
- Build team spirit — communicate regularly with staff by holding a regular team brief or meetings to review performance and to discuss forthcoming projects and deadlines.
- Be sociable — use social events to break down any barriers and introduce an element of fun, such as a monthly drink at the local pub or going out for a meal.
- Trust is key — empower valued staff to make decisions and avoid a blame culture by acknowledging that mistakes are an inevitable part of the learning process.
- Celebrate success — praise your staff when they are doing a great job. All too often we focus on the negatives and pay little heed to the positives.
- Lighten up — don’t be afraid to take a more relaxed approach to work, for example, introduce ”dress down Fridays“ or pin up a ”joke of the week“ on the staff notice board.
- Be flexible — work is not the be all and end all and staff have lives outside the office. Try to accommodate your employees if occasionally they need to leave an hour early to let the plumber in or take their child to the dentist.
- The Feel Good Factor — recognize that not everyone is driven by a salary and that offering flexible working hours, encouraging staff to take a lunch break, providing a crèche facility or gym membership can go along way to keeping employees happy and motivated.
- Enhance the work environment — simple touches such as a pleasant staff room for tea breaks, fresh flowers in reception, free tea/coffee and biscuits can significantly improve employee’s daily lives.
- Foster a learning culture — encourage staff at every level to learn new skills and consider external training courses to progress individual career development.
David Robertson concludes:
”Staff motivation is one of the most important factors in managing people. Motivated workers are more productive and higher productivity ultimately means higher profits. In addition, staff who are well motivated are more likely to stay within the business which, for small firms in particular, is absolutely vital, as the valuable knowledge that key staff can take with them can leave a large gap in the firm’s expertise.
”Owners and managers looking to attract and retain their most valued employees need to recognize that not everyone is driven purely by salary and that they need to do a much better job of enhancing the work environment and focusing on how to make staff’s daily lives better.“
