Hardworking employees are the reason small businesses succeed. Without the dedication and time commitment from your team, your business would likely not be a reality. There are many ways to thank your employees for the work they do and the ways they contribute to your business, but creating a positive work environment for them to work in permanently is the most effective way to show your appreciation and keep everyone feeling happy.
Here are a few tips for managing your small business.
1. Reward Hard Work
When your company is doing well, be sure to give an extra big thank you to your team members who have made that possible. When the budget allows for it, be sure to give your employees a pay raise. This is the best way to show that you appreciate their work while incentivizing them to keep it up since harder work could mean more money.
If your company’s budget does not allow for pay raises yet, simply acknowledging a job well done when necessary is another way to recognize your team’s hard work and allow them to feel rewarded and appreciated for it.
2. Evaluate Employee Needs
What makes one feel appreciated might not work for another. Develop a personal connection with each member of your team and communicate with them about their specific needs to determine where you can make improvements that work for everyone. Maybe one employee would benefit from more work from home days, and another would like some specialized training from hsi.com. Or, maybe your employees would all work better if they could have more control over the projects they are taking on. Whatever the case may be, listen to employee needs and do your best to fulfill them whenever you are able in order to show your appreciation for your team, which will lead to higher productivity rates and better quality of work.
3. Listen to Feedback
Set up a system of regularly receiving feedback (both positive and negative) from your team in order to evaluate what is and is not working in your office so that you can make improvements as needed. Try sending out an email each week that encourages your team to reply with specific or general feedback. If you’d rather receive feedback face to face and have a conversation about potentially necessary changes, consider eating lunch with your team one day a week or hosting another type of frequent meeting to discuss how things are going around the office. This will keep you aware of how your team is feeling and how to improve things around the office.
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