Support Better Employee Performance for a more Productive Workforce

Productive, well managed companies are easy to identify. Just one glance around a truly functional workplace will reveal a long list of tell-tale signs: Workers who are busy, but not frantic. Straight postures, not expressions of defeat. Clean workspaces that show a sense of pride. A background of pleasant chatter, not cold silence. The list goes on. Most importantly, in a well-managed company, workers are happy, they stay for a long time, and they go the extra mile instead of just doing the minimum required for a paycheck.

Does this describe your company? If not, here are few areas that may need some extra focus.

1. Don’t neglect your culture. You may describe your workplace as fun or serious, competitive or collaborative, traditional or innovative, but however you describe it, make sure the culture you encourage is the one that best supports the success of the company – walk the walk. For example, if your business depends on innovative thinking, re-think punishing employees who take risks and make mistakes. Company Objectives should be well defined and cascaded down to the employee level to ensure employees are working toward common goals and more importantly, that employees KNOW what goals they should be striving to exceed.
2. Start listening. The best way to find out what makes employees happy is simple: ask them. Chances are, they’re already telling you. Open your ears so you can provide them with the tools, support, and training they need to excel at their jobs. Happy workers are more likely to meet performance expectations and help achieve company goals. To help gather and properly analyze company-wide feedback, it is helpful to make time during the year for surveys. The results can be compiled to give you a good sense of the current state of employee satisfaction and often times some direct suggestions for improvements. You would be surprised what small changes can do for employee morale and engagement.
3. To give respect, show respect. This goes without saying. A respectful culture is one of trust, responsible leadership, and teamwork. A culture of disrespect makes everyone want to race out the door at 4:59.
4. Feedback is essential. At the heart of every engaged workforce is ongoing feedback and coaching. Encouraging a feedback-centric culture within your organization ensures employees and managers engage in timely dialogue and keeps performance and goals on-track. Feedback should always be consistent, clear, actionable, and well documented. Meaningful feedback and instruction require the full commitment of the participants—both the manager and the employee as well as encouragement and support from top management and HR. Give your workforce the platform needed to engage in year-round performance dialogue and maintain records of accomplishments. See emPerform tag

To learn more about implementing software to help execute surveys, set meaningful goals, and engage managers and employees in effective feedback processes, visit emPerform