Do you want to attract and keep top talent? Then, a holistic approach towards employee wellness should be the foundation of your company culture. This includes caring about your people’s physical and mental well-being both in and outside of work – beyond the “9-5”. To accomplish this, you must take the time to get to know your employees and understand them. Employee understanding entails making a conscious effort to learn everything you need to know about them – who they are, what they need, their goals, their pain points, and their future aspirations.
Companies that genuinely care about their employees experience numerous benefits, from increased productivity and reduced absenteeism to improved employee morale and a positive public image, all of which impact positively on the bottom line.
Here are five more benefits that arise from caring for your employees:
- A high standard of work
- Job satisfaction
- A positive atmosphere
- Loyal and dedicated staff
- Good customer service
Caring for your employees means investing your time and resources
As a company leader, you can take steps to take care of your employees. Here are eight practical ways to make your employees feel cared for and appreciated:
1. Provide a safe and clean workplace
Show your respect for your employees by creating a work environment that is professional, clean, and secure. People are more productive in an organised workplace than one that is untidy or cluttered. One practical way to ensure that every employee does their bit to maintain an organised working environment is to introduce a formal Clean Desk Policy (CDP). A CDP is a structured directive that provides guidelines as to how employees should leave their workspaces clean and clear at the end of the working day. This should apply to both in-office and remote workers for whom it also provides a safeguard for private company information being placed out of sight.
2. Be transparent
If an employee asks for advice or feedback about their performance, be honest with them in a considerate way. If necessary, schedule a one-on-one meeting with them in a private setting to offer your input on things they could improve their performance or do differently. Also be transparent with your team about the company’s performance. Share with them the company’s successes and setbacks. Forewarn them about significant business developments such as mergers or the impending sale of the business. Being open with your employees shows you trust them and value their contributions.
3. Show you care about their personal life
If you want your employees to know you value them as individuals, it is important to get to know something about their lives beyond work. Find out about their spouses, children, and hobbies to show you care about their personal lives. Take the time to check in with the team about their weekend plans or how their kids are doing in school. And, most importantly, be seen to be actively listening to what they tell you. It is powerful to follow up with them having remembered what they shared with you.
4. Back them up
Establish your loyalty and belief in your employees by supporting them during challenging situations. If a customer or a client treats one of your employees disrespectfully, stand up for your employee, demonstrating zero tolerance for discourteous behaviour. Even if you lose the client or customer in the process, you will have proved to your employees that you value them more than anything else. This set a precedent for the ways your team members treat each other with respect.
5. Recognise hard work
Show your employees you appreciate their excellent work or going the extra mile by acknowledging and rewarding them. You can simply compliment them privately, or you can recognise them in front of their peers. Rather than wait for an annual company celebration to recognise excellence, schedule more regular recognition – perhaps at weekly meetings or even via employee of the month awards. When you celebrate achievements, employees are more likely to take pride in their work and the company.
6. Remunerate your employees fairly
Provide fair and competitive salaries so your employees feel valued and can meet their expenses and maintain a decent quality of life. Offer regular pay increases and provide bonuses (and other non-financial rewards) to reward exceptional performance. Bonuses and rewards not only help retain talented employees but have been proven to improve morale and productivity. If a highly valued employee asks you for a pay increase, carefully consider their request without dismissing them out of hand. Be honest if a raise is not currently in the budget and offer an appropriate non-monetary benefit such as paid time off or another meaningful benefit.
7. Support career growth
Offer employees the opportunity to learn new skills or master new technologies through training and mentorships. Encourage employees to attend workshops, webinars, and other training sessions to expand their knowledge base. Consider allowing employees to work in different but related departments or positions, giving them the opportunity to learn about each other’s jobs. This cross-skilling will give your employees a better understanding of their colleagues’ roles in relation to their own and pay dividends when the company is short-staffed. Promote employees who have earned it when positions become available to show your loyalty and support of their career growth within the company.
8. Demonstrate your trust.
One way is to show your employees you trust them by giving them the freedom to complete projects and make appropriate decisions without constant supervision. Let your people decide how they do their work to meet standards and deadlines. This entails evaluating the outcome, not their method. Another way is to show you trust your employees is to encourage two-way communication. Ask their opinions and encourage them to share ideas then act on their input. Involve your team in important decisions so they feel invested in the company’s success, with the proviso that it is management’s prerogative to make the final choice.
Employees who feel valued and appreciated as individuals are far more likely to go the extra mile on behalf of the company and hold themselves accountable for delivering a high standard of work. Most importantly, they will be happier in their roles, more loyal to the company and stay longer. Leaders who pay no attention to connecting with employees run the risk of losing the unbeatable benefits of building a long-term, dedicated team. What is more, encouraging caring and positive relationships between your staff can result in an energetic and supportive team – great for team morale, collaboration, and innovation.
Over to you for sharing your comments and experiences.
About the Author: Kerstin Jatho
Kerstin is the senior transformational coach and team development facilitator for 4Seeds Consulting. She is also the author of Growing Butterfly Wings, a book on applying positive psychology principles during a lengthy recovery. Her passion is to develop people-centred organisations where people thrive and achieve their potential in the workplace. You can find Kerstin on LinkedIn, Soundcloud, YouTube and Facebook.
