Thanks largely to the COVID-19 pandemic, staff turnover is on the up and up. Firms are losing staff and finding it tough to hire staff. But what if you were to improve workplace conditions?
In this newsletter, Long + Cowan is taking a look at employees and how we employers can be supportive of our staff, particularly during these unsettled times, where the road ahead both socially and economically, is cloudy.
That age-old saying, ‘family first, can also be true in the workplace. Your employees, your team, are much like a family unit, and without them, you don’t really have a business.
It may sound clichéd, but employees are much like the cogs of a wheel, each performing individual tasks to make sure everything runs smoothly. It’s true, that you need clients to make money, but a great team is part of your business foundations and to have one you need to lay a little groundwork first.
Here are some ways to ensure you are looking out for your team players.
Treat them as individuals
One of the biggest mistakes managers make is forgetting that employees are humans and adults. People have lives and often things come up. Obviously, you don’t want to be a
pushover or taken for granted, but occasionally life is tricky and it pays to have an element of empathy when a team member comes to you with an issue.
Be communicative, ask questions and be as understanding as possible.
Engage Face-to-Face
Go further than email or message communication and make time for face-to-face interaction. Whether it’s a regular weekly meeting, communal morning tea or Friday afternoon drinks, it’s important to have that interaction.
Interact on a personal level – learn about family, favourite hobbies, television programmes or sports teams. By doing this, you will not only build trust, but you’ll also build respect.
A Loyal Staff Base
Incorporate these few simple things into your daily interaction with employees. It will help you to build a longstanding and loyal staff base, like what we have established here at Long + Cowan. It will also help build your reputation as an employer of choice to draw in higher calibre candidates for positions in the future.
Here’s a link to a slightly longer article on the business.govt.nz website entitled: Talking with your team about uncertain times. As the introduction notes, ‘Change and uncertainty can take their toll on a business and its people. You and your workers may feel anxious or stressed about the future.
Call us today for a free consultation if you need help with your accounting or are considering selling or purchasing a business.