Growing Your Business Through Your Employees
As a business owner, it’s your responsibility to manage your business’ growth. By far, your best resource for growth lies in the hands of your employees. When your employees are happy, they’ll perform their jobs better and make your company more successful. The question then remains- how do you grow your business through your employees?
Keep Your Employees Comfortable
One of the best ways you can help your employees reach their maximum productivity is by keeping them comfortable. When your workers are relaxed at work, they’re much more likely to be meeting deadlines and finishing projects with a higher quality standard than they would otherwise. No matter what type of company you run, your average employee is expected to be there full time. Putting between 40 and 60 hours in at work leaves little time for your staff to care for things at home, so making sure the time spent at work is comfortable is important to their happiness.
While it may not be possible for you to manage your bottom line and give extra PTO, you can look into making your business a hybrid workplace. Allowing your employees to work from home a couple of days a week can add stability and comfort to their routine, which will make them more productive at work. More often than not, you’ll see an increase in productivity on the days where your team is working from home, simply due to them being in their comfort zone. If you’re wanting to help keep your employees comfortable at work, consider giving them more flexibility in their schedules. Even if they’re still putting in the same amount of hours, freedom and comfort will go a long way toward staff morale.
Look at Your Management Team
Another thing you need to evaluate is your management team. Many people will openly admit that they don’t leave jobs because of poor wages, poor hours, or poor customers, they leave because of poor management. If you have supervisors that micromanage your employees, they’re more likely to quit and direct business away from your company. Make sure your management staff is treating their subordinates with respect rather than abusing their power. This will help keep each member of your team content and comfortable while they’re at work.
Each member of your management team should also be valuing your employees. When an employee’s work is valued, they will want to contribute more to your overall productivity. It’s essential to be treating your employees as important members of the team, not just like workhorses. If you treat your staff more like family, they are more likely to boost their productivity at work. There are many ways you can show your employees you care, from celebrating birthdays to Employee of the Month programs, but they all have the same effect- your workers will be happy to be at work. If you want to keep your business growing through your employees, make sure your management team is on the same page as you are.
Make the Workday Enjoyable
Finally, it’s important to make the workday enjoyable for your employees. Of course, you can’t just have work parties in the office all day every day, but you can make the office a comfortable place to be. Things like a relaxed dress code, weekly snacks, or an extra break could all lead to a more enjoyable workplace. When your employees are physically comfortable in the office, you’ll be surprised how much their output will increase. The next time you walk through the common area of your office, see how you can improve the comfort level. Is it a place you’d like to spend eight hours in, or are there areas that can be changed?
Incentivizing learning and notable achievements will also push your staff to reach for success. You don’t have to have a massive budget for these but could simply offer things such as a coffee shop gift card. Giving your employees something to work toward will help encourage them to work harder every day they’re at work.
Overall, keeping your employees happy is one of the best ways to grow your business. Meet their needs, and they’ll meet your bottom line.
