No business owner or leader wants to hire mediocre employees. They all want the best employees to work for them – those who will provide best customer service, develop the best products, and in doing so help the business grow. The reality is it doesn’t quite work out this way. It starts with hiring a really good employee, who is eager to learn new things and contribute to the business. After some time, however, this passion starts to fizzle out and the employee gets stuck in the rut of doing everyday chores. The end result is the business owner doesn’t get what he had hoped when he hired the employee.
So, what motivates employees to continue giving their best to their employers? What can business owners do to bring out the best in their employees so it creates a win-win for both employees and employers? Here are some tips.
Hire People Who Identify With Your Company Culture
It all starts during the hiring process. You want to hire employees who fit with your company culture. Studies show that employees who fit well with the culture contribute significantly more without the need for extra motivation.
Finding, hiring and training employees who are good fit takes time. You spend significant money and effort in this process. That is why it is important to do it right the first time. By the time you find out that the employee is not a good fit with the company culture you may already have spent considerable time, money and effort.
Have you ever come across an employee who “owns’ his job rather than just work there? This is the type of employee you want to hire. These employees identify with your company culture. When you interview potential hires, ask them what they think about your company. Ask them to tell personal stories about what and how they did at their last job. You’ll be able to tell, relatively quickly, whether they will be a good fit with your company based on their past performance and how they viewed their previous employer.
Focus On the Big Picture
It is relatively easy for employees to get stuck in the rut after working anywhere for some time. When you sense that this has started to happen take a step back and look at the big picture. What do they like to do and why did you hire them in the first place? Taking a holistic view of the employee, his job and your needs will help identify tasks that employee enjoys, and at the same time helps you grow your business.
Find Out What Excites Employees
Employees who are excited about their work do not need additional motivation. They will naturally give their best to everything they do. Understanding what excites your employees and matching them up with those items will create a win-win situation.
Use Positive Reinforcement Instead of Negative Ones
Many business owners think that you need to keep telling your employees what they are doing wrong and, in some extreme cases, strike fear in their minds that makes them scared of losing their jobs. This old age thinking does not work well. Research has proven that positive feedback works much better in terms of bringing out the best in your employees compared to negative ones. Fear only produces minimal effort that is just enough to make you happy. It is the positive feedback that creates results you didn’t ask for or expected.
What do you think? Any other tips to bring out the best in employees? Do share with us in comments below.
About the Author: Anthony Buckley enjoys his work in HR. He frequently turns his experiences and insights into practical business blog posts at K Alliance.
