The success of your business necessarily depends on the engagement levels and output of your workforce. And even if you hire the most skilled and experienced talent, if they are not delivering to your expectations, your business success will be compromised.
You hold a great deal of power in this regard.
Business owners and senior managers can do quite a bit to enhance employee productivity levels and drive better engagement.
Offer incentives
It seems straightforward, but so many employers fail to take this simple step to improve productivity. Even for employees who are not commission-based, or are not part of the sales organization, there are small incentives that you can provide that will encourage them to track to your targets. Gift cards, extra vacation time, work-from-home incentives and even exclusive face-time with senior executives within your organization can all go a long way to help motivate your employees to produce more.
Provide the right technology
So many technologies today can help to enhance efficiencies. Make sure that your employees are armed with the tools they need to do their jobs well. Invest in modern computers and phone systems. Provide cell phones. Use robust CRM, collaboration and time tracking tools. These items all contribute to employee productivity.
Be a role model
If you expect employees to work extra hours to get the job done or to be accessible at all times, you need to set that example. If you are rarely in the office, and are difficult to reach, it will be noticed. Make sure that you are setting the tone relative to expectations and living up to them.
Offer feedback
Don’t wait for the annual performance review to share with your employees how they are doing. Weekly, or at least monthly, meetings will help to establish a regular cadence of feedback and will provide opportunity for open communication and goal tracking.
Set realistic goals
Everyone wants an overachieving team. And you should push for that. But you want to guard against setting unrealistic and unachievable goals. It is discouraging for employees to expend time and energy working towards goals that simply cannot be realized. Take the time to do some analysis and gauge what makes sense for your organization and your team before you settle on your targets.
Be flexible
In today’s day, there is no reason that you cannot offer flexible work arrangements. Work-from-home provisions are very easy to coordinate and flex hours can often be accommodated. Keep an open mind and give some thought to what arrangement will drive the greatest measure of productivity from each employee. Not every person works optimally in a 9 to 5 office environment.
If your employees are not performing to your expectations, reach out to Miller Bernstein today to explore ways that you might be able to boost engagement and drive small business success.
