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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.“
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