Build a strong workforce – how to get it right
Published: July 2018
How do you create a strong, effective, engaged team who work well together? It probably won’t surprise you to know that the answer is to make them happy. Happy workers are more productive, less likely to change jobs, have more energy and take 10 times less sick leave. They also achieve goals 31% more often than unhappy employees. So, how do you make them happy? It’s all about finding employees who are well suited to your company culture. Who feel appreciated, well liked and that they’re on the path to success. In this week’s blog, we’re going to look at what you can do to make that happen.
Recruitment
This is where it all starts. If you want a strong workforce, you need to make sure you have a thorough recruitment process that attracts the kind of people you want working for you. It’s going to take time and possibly money, but it will be worth it in the long run. Start by putting together a solid job description. Make sure you make it clear what outcomes you expect from the person who takes the role. Then start advertising! Make sure you widen your net as far as possible. Free ad sites are great, but this is the point where you may want to start paying for ads too – targeting your ideal employee. Your hiring process shouldn’t be a basic question and answer format, we’re way past that now. You need to find someone who is a great fit, and that means finding out who they are. Take them for a tour around the office and ask questions that dig deeper into their personality.
Feedback
Only 42% of workers are happy with the recognition they receive at work. By offering feedback and setting goals that feed into company-wide ambitions, you can give your employees the recognition they need to be happy with their 9 to 5. Start by setting personal development goals early on, and sticking to them. Meeting regularly to discuss problems, successes and ambitions will help your workers get an idea of if they are on the right track – without that input, they’ll feel like they are beavering away for nothing! Make sure you are honest with your employees about what you expect from them and what you and the company need.
Strong social network
“Team-building away day” are three words that strike fear in most people’s hearts, so let’s get rid of that idea straight away. We’re not talking about forcing your staff to connect or socialise, but instead giving them the opportunity to do so (if they want to). If you notice that a couple of members of staff have a particular charity interest, why not offer for them to do a volunteer day? Or maybe you have a few football fans. You could ask if they’d like to set up a football club and play against other companies. And before you ask why – take a look at this: employees with close work friendships are twice as productive, and two thirds will stay in a job because they have friends at work. Investing time into making sure your staff get on well is definitely worth it!
Transparency
A quarter of workers say they don’t trust management. But don’t worry, this is dealt with a lot easier than you might think. Management have a bad habit of not taking the time to update their employees on the direction the company is going in. Usually big decisions are only communicated to staff once they’ve been made. This is usually where the distrust stems from. By taking the time to keep your employees up to date with company decisions, the vision, goals and direction on a regular basis, you have already taken a massive step in changing that perception. The next step is to include your staff in key decisions. By asking their opinion, you’re showing that they matter. Ensure their personal development goals in some way tie in with the company’s vision. Showing your staff that they are part of the bigger picture will remove that lack of transparency altogether.
And there you have it – four steps to creating a strong (and happy!) workforce. What are your tips for getting employees engaged? Tell us on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter.
