One of the best ways to attract and retain the best employees is to treat them well, so they feel valued. Research by the American Psychological Association has shown that when people experience gratitude from their manager, they are more productive. And, teams perform tasks better when their members believe that their colleagues respect and appreciate them.
Here are five tips:
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Communicate often.
Get to know your employees as individuals and regularly take time to talk to them. Create routines based on two-way communication. Ask about their day, their families, and their interests. If you’re pressed for time, even a simple “good morning” or “how are you?” is very meaningful, as long as its genuine and from the heart.
- Encourage employees to share stories with you about what they’re doing or working on. Make them feel “known” by you. This benefits you as well as you stay on top of what’s going on.
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Provide effective feedback.
Regularly give employees both positive and negative feedback. Clearly separate the two. Avoid the “sandwich technique” of stuffing negative feedback between two layers of positive feedback. This confuses people. Those who most need developmental feedback tend to hear only the positive things said, while those who have performed well remember only the negative comments.
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Offer growth opportunities.
Employees want to know what the future holds for their career – and if they can find what they need at your company. It’s up to you to provide that reassurance.
- Make sure managers take the time to discuss growth potential and provide opportunities and “stretch” assignments. People will interpret this as evidence they are valued.
- Consistently find new ways to challenge employees. This may mean developing new projects specifically for their talents or just being more aware of what each individual does best and assigning tasks accordingly.
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Work/life balance is more important than ever.
Offering employees the freedom to decide when to work, as long as the desired results are delivered, has always been an important sign of trust and appreciation. But, since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s taken on a whole new level of importance. Especially at this time, give special awareness to people’s need to achieve balance and juggle myriad demands on their time and energy.
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Be authentic.
Appreciation and recognition must be specific and genuine; otherwise, they backfire.
- Be sure to recognize each employee as an individual. Single them out and reward them according to their specific accomplishments, with something the rest of their team doesn’t necessarily get. Of course, look for opportunities to recognize all team members. But individually acknowledging employees sends the message loudly and clearly: they really make a difference to you.
For more tips to promote communication and recognition, and strengthen employee relations, contact the workforce development experts at PrideStaff Modesto. Our mission is to deliver the value that matters most to you, just as you seek to deliver it to your team.
