It seems strange to have one month out of the year dedicated to this goal, in the perfect business employee spirit remains a high priority throughout the year.It’s an easy aspect to overlook, employee spirit, for small businesses struggling to keep up with demands, and dealing with the stress this brings, creating a harmonious tandem beneficial relationship with employees can be pushed to the wayside in the pursuit of financial success.With Employee Spirit Month behind us, we fail to understand why a business would choose to spend only a single month to focus on their employees rather than organising a 365, 24/7, operational procedure that allows staff to thrive and grow together. The people within your business are arguably your most important asset, they’re also the toughest to preserve.To help you create this, here are some of our own successful methods to build a top rate office full of happy, productive employees:
Treat employees as family rather than staff
This is especially true for SMEs where your team may not be more than a few friends, by treating your staff as employees you are immediately setting yourself above them. By all means this may be (and usually is) true, but a top down culture has issues, a family group is much more likely to work out their differences and communicate more efficiently than an authoritative boss and their staff.
Get the recruitment right, avoid misfits down the line
Having a recruitment funnel to locate and hire staff with the right talents is a vital aspect of all businesses and is a key contributor to a positive workspace. Having a bad egg in the office can poison the well, so to speak, and have a negative impact on everyone. Plus, getting the right person in will avoid the potential costs of firing a bad fit and restarting the hiring process.
Invest in them and they will return with interest
Being a training company we know the benefits that regular training and upskilling brings for both employee and employer. By investing in their future, not only are you getting a member of staff with a greater skill base but also a more loyal one who can remain optimistic about their future at the company.
Avoid annual appraisals, organise regular informal feedback
The annual appraisal can be a nerve-racking time for the best employee, if you operate an annual program consider scrapping it and implementing a series of informal sessions throughout the year to remain up-to-date with staff members’ work, personal issues and gain valuable feedback.
Set goals and reward positive results
It’s a fact that people react positively to receiving rewards for progressive results, running a rewards scheme for staff can boost productivity and engagement levels for a small cost. Even by offering something as simple as a gift card, producing a carrot for staff to chase month to month can act as a deterrent for negative habits.
Hold regular team outings
As a small business with a small team, organising team outings is a great way for staff to socialise outside the confines of the office. Even just one night a month at the bowling alley, out in town or a barbeque evening will get staff talking and grow closer as a singular unit operating as one.There you have six easy and cheap ways to ensure your employee’s spirit and morale levels remain high while creating a positive working atmosphere and an environment that includes all, benefiting everyone involved and ultimately giving your business a shot of productivity. Michael O’Flynn of Professional Academy.
