As a small business, there are countless things to monitor, manage and oversee just to ensure that your company is functional. With so many responsibilities, it is natural to offload some of those difficulties to our employees or contractors.
After all, why else would you hire people to work for you if you can’t trust them? Unfortunately, this can reach a point where managers start to trust in their employees a little too much and will neglect to check up on them now and then.
Whether it is neglecting employees or simply overlooking the importance of checking in once in a while, it is a bad idea to stop paying your employees any attention. So no matter how busy you are or how little time you think you have, we have put together a list of 10 top reasons why you need to be paying more attention to your employees, especially as a small business.
1. Happy staff are more productive
Happy staff are ultimately more productive staff. Employees that enjoy their jobs, are happy with their manager and enjoy the work they do are generally going to be harder working and more accepting of things such as criticism and ideas to improve their workflow. Keep your employees satisfied and it will pay dividends.
2. Staff concerns should be your concern
If your staff are concerned about something such as safety issues then it should be your responsibility to pay attention to their problems and deal with it appropriately. If you don’t prioritize workplace safety, your employees will be at risk and your company finances will be at risk from litigation.
3. You probably don’t have an HR department yet
An HR department is incredibly helpful for helping you manage employee-related matters such as hiring or dealing with disputes, but if you are a small business, then it is unlikely that you have got the resources to put one together. As a result, it is your responsibility as the manager to act in its place and deal with any concerns or disputes that your employees have.
4. To appreciate the work they’re doing
In general, it is a good idea to appreciate your employees and the work they do because it helps them feel more motivated to continue working. It also helps them feel like they are actually in a productive workplace that values the work they do, and this is often a more powerful motivator than money alone.
5. To detect issues that could affect their productivity
Paying attention to your employees means that you can help to detect things such as depression or even drug abuse with the help of random drug testing. While it may seem invasive, some employees may end up in a position that makes it difficult for them to remain productive while also combating their problems outside of the workplace.
6. Ensuring everyone is on the same page
It is also vital to keep everyone on the same page by paying more attention to your employees. This will help keep ideas flowing and also ensure that everyone is working towards the same company goals. By using company meetings and individual one-to-one conversations, you can ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.
7. To discuss and listen to ideas they might have
Speaking of ideas, paying attention to your employees means that they are more likely to discuss and explain their own ideas. Since your employees take care of a lot of different aspects of your business, they are in the best position to suggest improvements, new product ideas and ways to change your services for the better.
8. To identify talented individuals
Talent is difficult to identify if you don’t pay attention to your employees. When you do find talented staff members, it is important to take advantage of their strengths and help them nurture their skills so that they can become even more productive in the future.
9. To spot potential future managers
Paying more attention to your team also means identifying future managers. As your business grows and scales up, you are going to need more people in leadership positions to help manage your company. While it might not seem important yet, employees that showcase some leadership qualities should be noted so that you can pitch the idea of them becoming senior members of staff in the future.
10. Spotting toxic people that should be fired
Toxicity in the workplace should not be accepted in any shape or form. Instead, it is vital that you focus on building a positive company work culture that can motivate and encourage your staff to be more productive. By paying more attention to your employees and the office culture in your workplace, you will have a much easier time identifying who should be removed before they negatively affect your company.
