As a business owner, you should care about your employees. I could write an entire article on why they are the most valuable aspect of your organization. In turn, I could also write one on how your employees can bring down your business.
The difference boils down to how much you care for your employees. Treat them well, and they will reward you with excellent work performance that helps you thrive. Treat them badly, and the complete opposite will happen. So, if you want to improve your business, you must give your employees as much care and attention as possible.
Unfortunately, problems arise when you assume you’re treating your employees well. You think you’re caring for them, so you don’t bother making any changes. In reality, you’re actually giving them far less than they need. A feeling of resentment boils within your company, usually leading to unproductive employees and an impressively high turnover rate.
How do you avoid falling into this trap? Well, here are a few questions that should help you understand if you’re truly caring for your employees as much as you can:
Do you provide employee benefits?
A simple place to start, and a question that you should all answer yes to. If you don’t offer any benefits to your employees, then they have no reason to work hard. It makes them feel heavily undervalued as it looks like you don’t care about them. As a bare minimum, you should give them all holiday pay and paid sick leave. Of course, the more benefits you provide, the happier they will be.
Do you know all of their names?
Again, a question every business owner should answer yes to. At least, you should know the names of everyone working in your workplace. Bigger businesses with hundreds of employees are different. Not knowing their names shows you really don’t care much about them at all. They’ll make a note of this and resent you for it.
Do you give your employees a voice?
This means that your employees have a way of making themselves heard. If they think certain parts of the company can be improved, they have a way of voicing their opinion. If they have complaints, there’s an easy way to make them. This usually comes in the form of an HR department. Whether it’s in-house or outsourced HR, this gives employees a way to make themselves feel heard. Without anything like this, they don’t feel like they have a voice at all. It seems like you couldn’t care less about their opinions or how they feel.
Do you reward your employees?
How often do you tell your team that they’re done an amazing job? How often do you reward all of their efforts? If you can’t think of any instances of this, then you’re not a good boss. Your employees don’t feel valued at all, as they never receive any positive feedback. So, make sure you reward your employees for a job well done. Let them know you appreciate all the work they put in every single day. Make it clear that you’re aware the business wouldn’t be able to function without them. Rewards keep people happy, meaning they’re more likely to work harder and stay at your company.
Do you check up on your employees?
When was the last time you spoke to an employee and asked how things were going? This is the sign of a boss that genuinely cares. If you take the time to check up on your employees and ask them about life both inside and outside of work, it means a lot to them. It shows you’re going the extra mile to see if things are okay.
Do you provide other services?
Effectively, this means services that can help your employees. For example, mental health counselling. Or, you could even include additional training here as well. Are you giving your employees extra ways to improve themselves? Once more, this really shows you care about your employees and value their health and development. You understand that they may be feeling drained and need some help. Or, you want to help them develop new skills and become better at their jobs.
Did you answer yes to all of these questions? If so, then you care about your employees a lot. If you answered no, then you don’t care much for them at all. Remember, happy employees feel valued by their boss. In turn, your team will start working harder and feeling more attached to your company. Just like that, you’ve stumbled on the recipe for success.
