Employees are the most valuable assets of any company. Strong balance sheets, excellent profits and a good reputation are all created as a result of a company that recognises the talents of individual members of staff and harnesses these talents for corporate well being.
People Matter
If an employee is working in a disorganised office, and is overwhelmed with files of paperwork, you can get around this problem by using the services of a professional document storage firm, including Kelly’s Storage. Some documents have to be retained under the terms of company compliance; Companies House registrations, tax documents and other important paper records can all be stored off site, there’s no need for these records to clutter up the office. An employee who feels neglected and overwhelmed won’t really feel like contributing to office life, if company directors have a clear policy on document storage, this will help any administrative duties.
Communication is Essential
If there are changes in the company, employees should be informed in person. Technology has introduced the curse of the email, which often means that key company decisions are imparted electronically. If you give an important decision in person, you’ll promote loyalty. Most employees are inundated with daily trivia; meetings about meetings are the norm in most offices.
An article in The Daily Telegraph suggests that if office managers were to restrict communication to the essential, fewer members of staff would become dissatisfied with their jobs and would be happier in the working environment. Jargon is also a good way of alienating your staff. Certain professions have a precise terminology, but when a director is talking directly to staff, plain English is always more straightforward than ‘corporate speak.’
Promote Your Staff’s Talents
One of the best ways to retain and make the best use of your company’s staff is to offer them the possibility of extending their skills. The Dragon’s Den guru Deborah Meaden suggests that ‘people need a sense of leadership and direction… encourage them and treat them well.’ The more you invest in your staff the greater the value for your company, as well as the sense of confidence that you’ll inspire in individual company members. Learn how to listen to your staff. They might have the next idea that will expand your profits. Also, remember that the worker in the post room can be as important as the CEO, everyone’s lives has value.
Be Honest and Protect the Future
The recent global recession saw the collapse of many popular brands. Sadly, some workers only discovered that they had lost their jobs through a text message. If a CEO is honest with the workforce and tells them that they might lose their jobs, before the administrators are called in, at least you are telling staff that you value them. A company that disregards its employees does so at its peril. Praise your staff. If there’s a problem on the horizon, tell them about it. It’s a good thing to make the shareholders happy, but credit should always be given to the employees, your assets, that have contributed their ideas and energy to help build a successful business.