1. You make them feel like they belong
Everyone one of us knows how it feels to not belong somewhere. It makes us feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. So why would we not want our employees to feel welcome in their work place? A strong feeling of belonging has to be a paramount objective for all organisations to achieve amongst their workforce.
Achieving this can reap substantial bottom line benefits including increases in performance, drops in turnover and huge reductions in employee absenteeism. Also, employees who have a higher sense of belonging are far more likely to recommend their place of work to others, in turn improving employee attraction.
Belonging is fast becoming the fourth member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion party.
D, E, I & B are hot topics. Are you talking about them? Are you putting plans in place to be an employer who has a strategy to address these?
2. They believe in your business and purpose
Belief in your business /service/product is directly linked to the overall level of engagement which an employee will display. If they believe in what you do, they are far more likely to be productive and will more often than not, go the extra mile to deliver what is required.
They will see their personal part to play in the delivery of the service or product and will go out of their way to be true business ambassadors.
This personal attachment will give them a strong sense of purpose which will also resonate through to your clients/customers.
3. You provide a fantastic working environment
Whether it be onsite or remote, a fantastic working environment will pay dividends with your employees. Many people spend a huge part of their waking hours at work so it needs to be great, right! So what makes a fantastic working environment? It’s not just about the physical elements.
· Clear communication between all parties
· Flexibility
· Team spirit and manager support
· Meaningful & challenging work
· Great rewards
· Personal development for those who want it
· Investment in health and wellbeing
· Great leadership
· And if onsite, then of course good space, cleanliness, good facilities, comfort, good lighting and sound controls
4. You build on their strengths and develop them
Employees who are encouraged to build their strengths and develop themselves will be more engaged and loyal. Take the right amount of time to get to know your team members fully and make sure you know what their strengths are and make sure they know them too!
Focus on them and assign them tasks so that they can put them to good use. Regularly check in with them and discuss their strengths as well as their areas for growth. Position them for success, give them additional responsibilities, let them experiment and innovate. Support them always, even if things don’t go to plan. We’re all learning!
5. You take their welfare seriously
Wellbeing and wellness is more important now than ever before. The global pandemic has led to a huge rise is wellbeing issues amongst employees and the CIPD reported in 2021 that more than 80% of organisations were concerned about the impact of COVID-19 on employees’ mental health.
Striving for and promoting good employee wellbeing can help to prevent stress and create more positive working environments.
We are now talking so much more openly about these issues and this is such great news. Making it ok to not be ok has been ground-breaking for so many people. Our understanding of mental health and welfare issues has led to the introduction of many fantastic support mechanisms in the workplace.
Ensuring that employee welfare is on your agenda and a part of your company’s culture will result in so many positives for your business such as increased engagement, better productivity, reduced absence, less stress and higher resilience.
6. You inspire them
We all want someone to look up to, to be inspired by. Remember that people very often leave people, not jobs. Inspiring strong performance is the sign of a great leader so drive people to reach their potential and be successful and they will follow you and look up to you. Pay attention to them and communicate expectations. Be open with people and also be available and present. Trust people and have their backs! Remember also to include them and give them purpose.
7. You give them feedback
People like to know how they’re doing and especially so when they are doing great! Make sure you tell people how they are contributing to your business and what, if anything they could do differently. It’s an essential part of management communication and if done properly, will promote good will and teamwork. It will also inspire confidence and build trust between you. Who doesn’t want more of that!
8. You give them space and bandwidth
Micro management is awful. Employees should be given the space and time to do their jobs and the safety that if things go wrong, that you are there for them. Yes use deadlines, but ensure they are realistic and relatable to the task at hand. Don’t smother people, instead trust them to get things done. It’s why you employed them!
9. You outwardly praise them
Being praised makes the recipient feel good about themselves!! It can help to boost their performance and willingness to do more. Praise provides the kind of positive experience or 'uplift' that can increase employees' morale, motivation and engagement, and renew their commitment to their leader and the organisation.
Choose your words wisely though, ensure that they portray positivity and appreciation and encouragement.
10. You pay them appropriately
Of course, it goes without saying that people want to be paid appropriately for the job they do. Please ensure that your rates of pay are competitive and market driven and review them frequently. If you can afford to be above median rate then even better. Remember also that pay can also include benefits, commissions and bonuses.
Paying appropriately will demonstrate how strongly you value and appreciate your employees.