Ethical practices have a huge impact on staff. According to a JUST Capital survey, about 8 out of every 10 American workers are willing to work at a lower pay if they perceive their organization to be ‘just’. This says a lot about the role of trust, respect, and fair treatment in the workplace. You have the power to create a really enviable, extraordinary team. Organizations that are committed to employee satisfaction are way ahead of the pack. In this post, we look at 7 great ways to put your employees first for the overall good of your business.
1. Believe in your team
To get the most from your business’s talent pool, you really have to believe in them and support them unconditionally. This means that you see all your team members as A-players who should be treated as such. Invest time and resources in their growth, coach them, and help them mature their personal greatness. Challenging and motivating employees takes leadership vision – not threats and micromanagement. Think about how you can offer praise and rewards for hard work, as well as promote mutual respect and other ethical practices that will make people feel great about working for your company.
2. Foster unit through caring
Cultivating a positive workplace culture is indeed one of the best ways to put your employees first. But this is easier said than done. The goal for business owners and decision-makers is to get employees to buy into a cause that is greater than their own motives. Caring for your team so much that they’ll be willing to give up personal gain for the good of other team members, and the cause. This culture of caring should be a consistent way in which you treat your employees. Every company should find a creative way to provide acceptance, approval, appreciation, affection, and attention to its team members – throughout everyday operations.
3. Make employee satisfaction a priority
Companies conduct customer satisfaction surveys all the time. But very few regularly gauge and monitor the satisfaction level of their staff members. Failure to prioritize employee satisfaction means that your teams will feel less engaged in the work they do for your organization. The best way to improve employee satisfaction levels is to create a culture where employees love to come to work. Collect feedback and talk to your employees about the issues that matter to them – whether they like the product they’re promoting, their ideal commute times, etc. When your staff members feel satisfied, they’ll be more productive and eager to perform.
4. Encourage employee growth
Your company won’t grow if your employees aren’t growing. Visionary leaders work to push employees beyond self-limiting boundaries. Companies that care about their employees help people reach their own professional goals. Consider offering benefits such as education reimbursement and feedback meetings. Any chance that you have to empower your team members to learn new things and push them outside their comfort zone will suffice.
5. Integrate wellness into the workday
Leaders cannot effectively put employees first unless they focus on all aspects of the employee. That includes things such as health. Companies that prioritize personal wellness and infuse it into the organizational culture all year round prove that they care about their employees. Think about hosing wellness-themed events, maybe yoga classes, and so on.
6. Practice radical openness
If you drop the bomb during annual reviews but say nothing on a daily basis, your staff will end up angry and confused. People will think that you were not honest with them upfront when it really mattered, and when they could have done something about it. They definitely won’t understand why you have to bring up the issue(s) months later. Practice radical honesty in your organization, but in a respectful way. When someone does very well, speak up, And when an employee makes errors, point that out right away. Always give your team members an opportunity to rectify their mistakes.
7. Put people before profits
Your employees should be treated as people, not commodities. If someone did not perform well, your first reaction might be to remove responsibilities, lower the boom, or even make threats. Often, this kind of feedback will backfire. Someone could be performing poorly because they are agonizing over something that you are not even aware of. So when you see that a certain staff member is contributing less than they should, this gives you an opportunity to learn more. Maybe there’s an underlying issue, or they probably need more coaching. Any underlying support that you give to your employees will be passed along to customers.
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