- Provide a safe and clean workplace. …
- Encourage open communication. …
- Support career growth. …
- Recognize hard work. …
- Offer competitive benefits. …
- Schedule social time. …
- Offer to help. …
- Demonstrate your trust.
Perception is a very real issue for leaders. They must choose their behavior based on how they want their employees to perceive them. Leaders typically select a mix of stoic, strong, reserved, and obnoxious personalities. Some even want to be seen as assholes. While avoiding a personal connection with your employees outright is a strategic choice that is typically made to uphold respect and stay out of awkward situations, it is a grave error.
Employees are far more likely to go above and beyond for the company and hold themselves accountable for their part of a project if they feel valued and appreciated by their leaders. Most importantly, they will be happier in their roles. Leaders lose the benefit of a devoted, long-term team if they downplay how crucial connecting with employees is.
1. Go above and beyond to personally help them. A great leader should look for ways to help his team members with their personal problems in addition to their work-related ones. I saw my co-founder’s frustration every day as she struggled to find a place to rent. I visited the complex where she wanted to live and spoke with the manager rather than just throwing money at the issue. She got a spot within a week. I still believe she is aware of my willingness to go to any lengths to help her, which has forged a loyalty that is difficult to sever and is priceless in a professional relationship.
2. Relate to them; don’t act like you’re above them. If you’ve ever worked in a setting where the executives park in their own spots and force you to carry their bags when they travel, you understand firsthand how it feels to believe your boss doesn’t care about you. When I notice a problem with a worker, I reflect on my own experiences and let him know how I dealt with it or failed to deal with it. When you put yourself on their level by revealing your own vulnerability and flaws, you can help them overcome the challenges that sometimes put you in a position of authority.
3. Show you care about their personal life. It’s possible to show your concern for your employee’s personal life without coming across as intrusive, even though you shouldn’t comment on their new relationship or arrange to hang out after work. When one of our employees had to postpone their honeymoon, we organized a small beach retreat at the workplace in its place. The key is to convey to your team that they are more than just employees.
4. Show interest in their significant others. I’ve never understood why businesses prohibit significant others from attending work events like Christmas parties. Why would you not want to include your employee’s No. I want my employee’s partner to know I value them both because having support at home makes working much easier.
5. Back them up with clients. We have a “no-a**hole” client policy in our office. If an employee complains that a client has mistreated her, we investigate the claim and, if necessary, fire the offending party. No matter how much a client pays you, if you have talented staff members who trust you to look out for them, you’ll be rewarded with a higher return than your biggest client could ever give you.
6. Do things that set you apart. Being creative with employee perks can go a long way. It only needs to demonstrate that you’ve given thought to improving your employees’ personal or professional lives; it need not be expensive. Here is a list of unusual benefits that other businesses have provided employees to get their creative juices flowing.
7. Be real and transparent with them. When an employee requests feedback, be truthful and don’t mislead him. That doesn’t mean you should be cruel, but keeping employees in the dark will only harm them and your business. The inevitable uncomfortable conversations that come with transparency will show you care enough to tell the truth, and that will mean a lot to your employees. Additionally, that honest and open feedback will result in better outcomes.
8. Make time for them. When a leader is too busy to have a simple conversation, it’s difficult for employees to feel appreciated. Daily tasks can make it easy to appear too busy for those around you, but by making it a point to have regular conversations with your team members, you’ll help them feel respected and valued.
9. Little things do matter. If you’re working with a tight deadline, a quick email to your team following a victory or a note of encouragement during a big sale can go a long way. I make an effort to email each member of my team to express my gratitude around Thanksgiving or Christmas. Just type a few sentences to express your appreciation for them; it doesn’t have to be an email in the “Jerry Maguire” vein. Consider it a warning sign if you can’t think of anything positive to say about each employee.
10. Create opportunities for new experiences. Pay attention and make accommodations when an employee expresses interest in various areas of the company. An editor who showed interest in content strategy the previous year eventually rose to the position of leadership at the business. We sent our editor to conferences instead of sending salespeople because that’s where potential clients would be, allowing her to take a break from her regular editorial duties and use what she learned from meeting potential clients to better develop content strategy.
11. Be aware of the expectations you set. If you don’t have realistic expectations, you could do all of the aforementioned and let it go to waste. Entrepreneurs have a tendency to exaggerate their enthusiasm and make unrealistic promises to their staff, which can cause problems. Even if a leader achieves the above acts, team morale can be negatively impacted by unrealistic expectations.
Before your staff members will believe in, or care about, the company’s long-term vision, its culture, or its success, they need to feel that you view each of them as a person, rather than just an “employee” to complete your to-do list. They must feel that their leader and the business care about them. There is nothing your team won’t strive to achieve once you demonstrate your appreciation for them.
Caring for your Employees – Lesson Four
Why is taking care of your employees important?
If you want to retain top talent and boost performance, it is critical to make your staff members feel valued and appreciated. The benefits of taking care of your employees include:
Employees spend so much time at work that their coworkers and managers integrate into their social network. Fostering compassionate and supportive relationships among your staff can produce a motivated and helpful team.
12 ways to take care of your employees
Take into account these 12 suggestions to foster a positive work environment and demonstrate your concern for your staff:
Provide a safe and clean workplace
Create a tidy, safe, and professional work environment to demonstrate your respect for your employees. In contrast to a cluttered and distracting workspace, they can be more productive there. This might include:
These actions demonstrate your concern for the welfare of your employees and the workplace.
Encourage open communication
Make sure your staff is aware that they can speak with their supervisors at any time to discuss problems or share ideas. Ask team managers to maintain an open door policy and to regularly check in with employees to provide motivation, praise, or advice. Employees should feel free to express themselves without fear of retribution and that someone is always willing to listen to them.
Support career growth
Give staff members the chance to acquire new skills, information, or technologies through training, mentorships, and seminars. Promote staff members when positions open up to demonstrate your loyalty and thank them for their efforts. Employees may be more motivated to perform well at work and stick with the company over the long term if they are aware of opportunities for career advancement.
Recognize hard work
By praising their accomplishments, you can demonstrate your concern for your staff. You could simply congratulate or recognize them in private, or you could do so in meetings and company emails. Plan employee appreciation activities like yearly dinners or employee of the month awards. Employee pride in the business and their work is more likely when accomplishments are recognized and celebrated. To avoid displaying favoritism, ensure that all employees receive equal recognition.
Offer competitive benefits
By providing alluring benefit packages, you can demonstrate your concern for the physical and mental health of your employees. These might include:
Benefits can be major contributors to employee retention.
Schedule social time
Provide opportunities for your staff to socialize and unwind outside of the office Staff social events might include:
You demonstrate that you care about your employees’ families and personal lives by encouraging them to bring their significant others and kids to events.
Offer to help
Observe your staff’s performance and behavior to spot any signs of stress or difficulty—whether it’s personal or professional—and offer to help. If a worker appears to be upset about something, find out why and what you can do to help. Providing assistance to your workers in any circumstance demonstrates your loyalty to them and helps to fortify your relationship.
Demonstrate your trust
By allowing them to complete tasks and make decisions without constant supervision, you can demonstrate to your staff that you have confidence in their ability to do their jobs. Employees often feel more valued when they have more responsibilities. Engage your team in key decisions so they feel invested in the success of the business.
Get to know your employees
To demonstrate that you are interested in your employees’ personal lives, inquire about their spouses, kids, and hobbies. You want your staff to know that they are valued as individuals. Spend some time getting to know your staff by asking them about their weekend plans, recent travels, or the performance of their children in school. You can learn more about and connect with your employees through a brief personal conversation that also makes them feel noticed.
Be transparent
Be sincere with an employee if they request advice or feedback regarding their performance. Explain potential changes you want them to make in a kind and encouraging manner. Also be transparent with your staff about the companys performance. Inform them of the organization’s accomplishments, failures, financial situation, or upcoming changes like mergers. Being open with your staff demonstrates that you value their opinions and contributions and that you trust them.
Stand by your employees
Supporting your staff in trying circumstances demonstrates your commitment to and belief in them. Consider taking the employee’s side to demonstrate your concern if a client or customer treats them poorly. Even if you lose the client or customer in the process, your staff will know that they come first. Employees may be more committed to the company and more motivated at work when they are aware of your support.
Pay fairly
Pay your employees fairly and competitively so they feel valued and can maintain a high standard of living. Offer bonuses and pay raises to reward exceptional performance. These financial incentives can boost employees’ morale and productivity in addition to aiding in the retention of talented workers. If a top employee requests a raise, take into account their justifications. If a pay increase is not currently planned for, be upfront about it and provide substitutes like more paid time off or other rewards for their hard work.
FAQ
What does it mean to take care of your employees?
It entails maintaining a clean environment and offering your staff several free wellness programs to participate in. All of these support maintaining the physical and mental wellness of your employees, which results in a healthy workplace.
Why should employers take care of their employees?
Taking care of your employees will increase their likelihood of staying on the job rather than seeking employment elsewhere. Consider making changes to the employee benefits and bonuses if your business has a poor employee retention rate. Your relationship with your customer base will be stronger if you treat your employees well.
How do you show caring at work?
