As a business transcription company, we are focused on helping companies manage their documentation requirements as they deal with their core concerns. One of the basic issues facing every organization is bringing out the best in their employees. In fact, it’s not enough to just have talented people on your team – you need to work on unlocking their full potential so they can contribute effectively to your organization and in the process, feel satisfied with the work they are doing. Having happy employees will ensure a productive, positive work environment, which will contribute to your company’s success.
Here are expert tips to bring out the best in your employees:
- Hire the right people: Let’s start at the very beginning – the hiring process. Make sure you hire top talent in the first place. Checking resumes and experience are important, but you should rely on your gut instinct to pick people who will fit into your organization and its culture. According to Barbara Corcoran, one of America’s most successful female entrepreneurs, “The best people have lots of enthusiasm. Don’t worry too much about their level of experience when you’re interviewing, as the right attitude always delivers much more than just experience.” Having the right people on your team is important for a healthy, productive environment.
- Provide the right kind of motivation: As an article in The Guardian puts it, “As a boss, understanding those who work for you and what makes them shine is essential.” People are motivated for different reasons and it’s not always about money. Find out how each employee is motivated and strive to provide that motivation each and every day. Companies like Disney, Google and Dropbox have reaped immense benefits from providing their employees with the right kind of motivation.
- Build an inviting company culture: Great talent is scarce. Companies with an inviting company culture have no problem when it comes to motivating their employees and retaining the best talent. How its employees feel say a lot about a company’s culture. Fast Company reported that a survey conducted by compensation, culture, and jobs monitoring site Comparably to find out how employees feel, found that Google came out on top for overall company culture with a score of 71 out of 100. Facebook came second with a score of 68, and Microsoft stood third with a score of 66. It’s hardly surprising that these tech giants attract the best candidates.
- Set the example: As a leader, you need to set an example that others will follow. Moreover, as your team looks to you for guidance, setting the right example will have a positive impact on their attitude and push them to contribute their best. For example, if you work hard and remain optimistic about everything, your workers will do so too, which will go a long way to make the work environment more motivating. Do all it takes to provide better leadership – take leadership courses or hire experienced manager who can handle the task for you.
- Ask your team for suggestions and ideas: This is important to make them feel they are an integral part of the business. You can ask them for ideas for new products or services or get their input on specific problems. Engaging your employees is best practice as they are the people who contribute directly to the company and are likely to have the best perspective on the business.
- Praise effort and give credit: The best way to bring out the best in your employees is to give them credit for their efforts. Reward employees who do well and consistently exceed expectations. This is also important in order to retain them. However, as only the best talent can shine, make sure you praise the efforts made by everyone on the team. Encourage collaboration and reward good team work. This is critical to avoid any situation that breeds unhealthy competition and distrust.
- Provide meaningful feedback: Providing constructive, meaningful feedback is important to help your talented employees hone their skills. A 2014 survey of employee attitudes towards “positive” and “corrective” feedback by Zenger/Folkman showed that 92% of respondents believed that when given properly, corrective feedback was the most effective in improving performance. Avoid being too harsh as this can have the opposite effect of demoralizing your workforce.
- Have the right tools and technology in place: No matter how talented your team is, they cannot contribute their best without the right tools. For instance, digital transcription agencies know just how important it is to have the right approach, tools and technology to ensure that their teams can deliver accurate and timely video and audio transcription services. Make sure your employees are working with efficient technology and software. This will allow them to reach their full potential.
- Communicate: A www.entrepreneur.com article stresses that it’s important for leaders to stay connected to their workers. Large organizations have workers in different countries and each individual’s contribution is unique. To keep them all on the page and know what’s going on internally and externally as well as with each employee, leaders need to communicate well.
Don’t make the mistake of driving people harder and demanding more to get the best out of them. Work towards understanding your employees and what motivates them. Fostering talent and motivating your team will help you build a team of loyal employees who can contribute to your organization’s success.
