Employee-management relationships are crucial for running a smooth business operation. After all, a team is only as good as the management that leads them. A healthy relationship between management and staff ensures that the organization is a happy place to work, and all projects are completed much more efficiently. For the business to perform better, everyone should get along well and have a thorough understanding of what’s expected of them. With that in mind, here are five ways you can improve the employee management relationships in your business:
Have Solid Leave Management Policies in Place
Leave management is one of the most important aspects of any business, and where human resources spends much of their time. In a business, the human resources team should utilize leave of absence compliance services to ensure policies are in accordance with local and federal laws. If one of your employees wants to take a vacation or is sick, this falls under the leave management umbrella. It may seem like a simple task, but research has shown that poor leave management skills can actually affect employee performance. For this reason, an effective technological solution is necessary.
Give More Time Off
With leave management in mind, it’s also important to note that you should incorporate more days off into your policy. According to one study conducted by a recruitment firm, 36% of surveyed employees put annual leave at the top of their wish list. If you don’t have a great vacation policy in place, it might be time to rethink your strategy. Vacation policies are a huge perk and keep staff happy. If you don’t have the budget for a more flexible vacation policy, consider more flexible working hours or developing a remote work program.
Stop Micromanaging
Micromanaging your team can have serious negative impacts on company morale, culture, employee turnover, and productivity. However, when you’re too close to the situation, it can be difficult for you to understand whether you’re a micromanager. From your point of view, it might just seem like you’re just doing your job, and ensuring that everything stays on track and gets done correctly. However, the view from your employees’ desk isn’t the same. First, here are some clues that will help you determine whether you’re a micromanager:
- You consistently have progress update meetings
- You dabble is a large amount of low-priority tasks
- You have become a bottleneck in your company; every action and decision needs to be approved by you
- You have trouble giving work to others because you believe you can do it better yourself
- You ask to be CC’d on even the most basic of emails
- Your staff has a high turnover rate
If you notice any of these qualities in you, it’s time to start taking steps to veer away from it. Cut back on meetings, allow your team to have more autonomy over projects, and actively start focusing on boosting your company culture. Communicate as effectively and positively as you can; ensure that you are delivering the same information clearly across the board and are utilizing tools such as mass-communication technology and other project management software which can mitigate micro-managing problems.
Give Recognition
According to an extensive survey conducted by Sirota (roughly 2.5 million working professionals participated), 49% of employees revealed that they weren’t happy with the recognition they received after a job well done.
Employee recognition can go a long way. Of course, there are plenty of ways to offer recognition. For example, perhaps at your weekly meeting, you’ll offer an “Employee of the Week” or “Employee of the Month,” paying homage to someone who performed well or worked hard. You might even want to give them a gift card or some type of incentive.
However, a simple “thank you” email is a solid gesture that can mean much more than you think. Recognizing your staff’s efforts consistently makes them feel valued and appreciated, and gives them motivation to continue working hard.
Collect Feedback
All the research in the world might guide you, but there’s no better research than the input that comes straight from the ground floor. The fact is, if you truly want to boost your employee-management relationships, you need to create a dialogue.
If company morale is already slightly low, than collecting feedback might be a bit tricky. However, collecting feedback isn’t just helpful—it can even increase your profits. According to one Gallup study, managers who received feedback on their strengths saw an 8.9% increase in profitability.
Allow employees to submit feedback online, and always ensure feedback is anonymous. You can also hold group meetings where you ask your employees directly for feedback, and be open and honest about why you’re requesting in the first place.
Author Bio
Judy Lees is a super-connector with yunasphotography.ae who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, branding and networking. He frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing, digital photography.
