Employee Management

Personnel Management

Tips for performance management

Finding good employees is important for the success of small businesses - but keeping them satisfied with their job is even more crucial. The statistics don’t lie: happy employees are productive employees.

Many small companies like to think of themselves as families, but the truth is they aren’t. You can’t ever change mothers, but you can change bosses. Families stick together through thick and thin. Your employees may be loyal, but that doesn’t mean they’ll never jump ship if things turn sour. After all, they have families of their own to feed.

This is why it’s so important for employers to treat their employees properly. They need to be nurtured and shown respect at all times. Here are some tips for managing your employees:

  • Be observant. Pay attention to how your employees react to you. Do they seem nervous when you’re around? Make every effort to adapt your communication style to suit your employees.
  • Be a good listener. Pay attention to all your employees. Most managers think they do a good job of this, but most employees believe their bosses need to improve their listening skills.
  • Be consistent. Although creativity and spontaneity are important, employees also need a degree of routine in their work. Make a point of giving regular feedback, and try to avoid surprise announcements (unless they’re good news).
  • Make face-to-face communication the norm. In today’s world, it’s far too easy to go about your day-to-day tasks without actually conversing with your employees. Text messages, e-mail and instant messaging have taken the place of human interaction. Be careful not to cut yourself off from your employees completely - if you close your office door and communicate via e-mail only, your employees will feel a sense of distance from you.
  • Connect outside of work. Whether it’s a company picnic, softball team or even just a few drinks at the bar, it’s important for small business owners to interact with their employees outside the work environment. This allows them to cut loose and see you as just another person, rather than a boss. When employees break away from their normal routine, they are better able to explore new ideas.