We talk and read a lot about employee performance – what makes people perform well, or not as the case may be. It is a very complex topic and one that organisations are desperate to have the answer to, because employee output is fundamental to organisational success. This is as true for factory workers as it is for creative workers.
The key determinants of success are typically things that cost the organisation money; salary, bonuses, time off, healthcare, and even work life balance often has a commercial implication. The good news is that there are some ways to boost employee performance that do not cost the organisation extra money. These are our top 10!
So simple, but so often forgotten. Providing praise and appreciation free, but can do wonders for the morale of your employees.
If an employee understands what they are trying to achieve, and know what excellence looks like, there is a jointly measurable and transparent way to know once it has been attained. Avoid moving the goal posts as this can cause employee negativity.
There will always be information that is not appropriate to share with your team but where possible, keep them informed. Share successes and failures of the company. This will help promote buy in to the performance of the firm. Your employees should not find out important information in the media before they hear it internally.
The team should feel that they can communicate with one another, as well as have the ability to interact with other teams. Set up team and cross team lunches and other sessions.
Help employees to understand the company culture and assist them to find a way to fit in with the organisational values and character.
Micro managing your employees is unlikely to make them perform at their best. Place trust in your employees, and if they are a good hire, they will flourish.
Ask employees for new ideas, and given them a safe forum to discuss with you and each other. Process improvements designed and implemented by the employees themselves should have automatic buy in.
It might be as simple as suggesting a drink after work in the pub, or an away day to help employees bond with each other, and with you.
Where appropriate to do so, give feedback straight away. This will mean the task is front of mind for both the manager and the employee.
Empowering your team by delegating tasks is extremely powerful. It might be that you delegate your responsibilities in their entirety when you are on annual leave, or perhaps it is a single task or project.
In times of economic challenge, organisations must find non-monetary ways to motivate and increase performance of their workforce. However traditionally some of the ways we have suggested above have been difficult for managers to commit to and implement. We of course hope to see this change for the better over time, as we recognise that not only should employee performance improve but they should feel happier within their roles.
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