If you’ve ever been an employee, you can probably recall a scenario where you showed up for work without giving too much thought as to how your performance affected the company overall.
Whether you can attribute that to being a careless youth or feeling a lack of recognition, being a company owner has probably helped you see things from a different angle, and part of running a successful company is making sure everyone on board is being thoughtful and intentional when it comes to the business’s future.
Luckily, to help make that ideal a reality, there are a few steps you can take to help your employees care just as much about your company as you do.
Sell Them the Bigger Picture
Oftentimes, it’s hard for those working on a lower level to see how their work contributes to the overall functioning of the company, and in turn, this causes employees to slack off simply because they don’t feel their work is that vital to the cause.
Take time often to explain to your employees how their individual efforts matter and make a difference; by seeing how their hard work and dedicated time contributes to the company’s success, they’ll become more motivated to give it their all.
Pay Well and Offer Employee Incentives
As an employer it’s important to remind yourself of why your employees are associated with your company in the first place; they might love the work they do, but it’s also in order to meet their financial needs.
Make sure to pay them a fair wage in exchange for the work they’re providing you with, and offer numerous opportunities for raises and employee benefits.
In the business world, you get what you pay for, and if you’re providing frequent raises and insurance packages, you’ll be a lot safer to assume your employees are putting thought and care into their daily responsibilities.
Give Performance Reviews
It’s hard for employees to care one way or another about the company they’re working for when they’re aimless as to how they’re actually doing.
Taking time to provide quality feedback on their performance, as well as listen to any thoughts, suggestions, or concerns they have, will help show that you acknowledge and care about each of their individual performances.
Not only will you be able to clear up any issues your employees are experiencing, but you’ll show that you recognise their strengths and weaknesses.
Performance reviews are a good way to remind your staff that singular efforts matter, and doing so frequently will motivate them to want to stand out for the quality of their efforts and not the lack thereof.
Show Enthusiasm and Company Pride
Whether you’re aware of it or not, you set the tone of the company, so make sure that the energy you’re giving off is enthusiastic and motivating to be around.
Send out weekly emails of goals you want to meet, express your company pride in staff meetings, and walk around the office with a positive attitude.
You’ll be surprised that the more effort you put into showing how much you care about your company will rub off on all your staff members.
Create an Open Dialogue
If you’re not willing to hear your employees’ thoughts and suggestions, don’t expect them to be too concerned with your company; in order for your line of business to matter to them, they need to feel as though they’re a part of it, so utilise every opportunity you can to engage your staff’s opinions on company matters.
That’s not to say you have to ask their advice on every decision the company makes, but set aside periods of time specified to address their ideas and suggestions.
Employees are able to bring a different perspective to the table, and the more you acknowledge and value that, the more they’ll start to care about making their services as worthwhile to the company as possible.
A solid team of dedicated employees is the key to any business’s success, and in order for your workers to engage with your company, you have to engage with your employees. If you can do that, you’ll have a strong foundation to build a strong, successful, and promising future for many years ahead.
Arlene Chandler is a freelance writer and career guru who has been published on many business, finance, and insurance sites. When she’s not writing about income protection for Suncorp, she enjoys talking shop over a strong cup of coffee.
