Whether a small business of 1-5 employees or a Fortune 500 executive with thousands of employees, enagaging them is critical. How do you move an employee or a supplier to thinking critically about your business? And how do you engage the hearts and minds of employees instead of just their “hands and backs”? Those little extras that get taken care of that you have no idea how thrilled your customer is to have done business with your firm. Research suggests that over 50% of the work force (and consequently, your employees) are looking for a new/better job. What’s the tipping point from knocking your business up an earning level?
The Answer: A quality reward system and disclosure.
Perks can easily be manifested into a reward system. Do you have a reward system in place? If so, double check to see what you’re measuring. The old addage applies - “your system is getting exactly what it was designed to produce”. So if your not pleased with the results you’re getting from your employees, adjust what your measuring. I’ve also found it helpful to keep a perk that you haven’t informed anyone about. Just a secret CEO special award. Kind of like rewarding a game ball in sports. When I see an employee critically thinking about the business and doing something that is a huge plus for the business but may not be an easily measurable catagory, I give them the perk. It may be tickets to the movies or a gift certificate of some kind. It truly can be anything. Believe me once your employees find out what you’ve just done, they’ll be competing for that too. But it doesn’t have to be money per se. think about what your employees like. if you don’t have a ton of money to spend on a lot of possible options take some cues from the spammers, what are they luring people to click for more info. We’ve all recieved those emails for iPods, the XBOX 360, free night stays at cool hotels, etc. (editors note: I’d stay away from anything with male enhancement)
The other is disclosure. As a business owner if things aren’t going the best it’s easy to tell your employees what they aren’t doing, how they aren’t producing. But they may not understand why it’s critical for them to push for the goal you’ve set forth. The challenge for us as the leader is to cast the vision for the next quarter, next year. We’ve got to consistently, in big and small ways, share with each employee why they are important and how they add to the organization as a whole. (A gentle reminder: it’s easier to envision your workforce when you’ve been taking the time to “sharpen the saw” and lead your people with a good attitude)
Adjusting your corporate culture comes with some time but I’ve seen drastic improvement in an operation in as little as six weeks. Take the time today to critically think about your reward system and then thank your employees for their service.
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