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15 Ways to Take Your Employees Further in 2016
Fifteen tips to get the most out of your employees without breaking the bank.
Will your employees flourish in 2016? If you have a big budget there’s no problem launching a host of great HR or training and development programs. If not, here are a few simple things you can do for your employees that will help them, and your organization, reach new heights in the year ahead. Let’s get started with Tip No. 1. . .
Big budget or no budget, try these tips.
Do talent reviews for everyone. Find at least one meaningful development activity for everyone—a new assignment, responsibility, or training program will stretch them and demonstrate the company isn’t taking them for granted.
Gaining new skills and developing talent can revitalize an employee who feels stagnant in their career.
Enable employees to learn from each other.Casual lunch and learns can be a nice opportunity for employees to share a tip, a skill, or some knowledge. Try a “knowledge café,” where small groups converse about a business issue or something they have recently learned.
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Make space by (temporarily) killing programs. You can’t do new stuff without getting rid of old stuff. Try giving up a stale program just for the year. If it is a worthwhile program, add it back. If no one misses it, then it stays gone.
Implement the secret that sits at the core of continuous improvement. Empower people to make suggestions for improvements they can implement in their own department. It is not just the improvements that matter, implementing suggestions gives employees a sense of ownership of their workplace.
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Empower people to make suggestions so they can gain a sense of ownership.
Nothing brings more energy to a process than new blood. Shifting responsibilities around can be a good tactic for creating interesting projects people can take on.
You will be surprised how even junior people will step up with hard work and good ideas when challenged to take responsibility for a meaningful project.
Shift around responsibility for programs.
Get your executives on the front lines. Employees love to see the executives spending a day doing front line work. It helps employees feel connected to the mission of the business and helps executives understand the issues that stand in the way of workers achieving peak performance.
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Let them blog! In HR we know how important and motivating it can be to have a chance to express yourself. Encourage employees to blog and then get out of their way. If you have concerns, all you need is a policy that says HR will remove any blogs that are offensive. That is it. Experience shows offensive postings are rare. Try it and you will find the benefits far outweigh the occasional hiccup.
Tap the fountain of wellness. Wellness initiatives have the unusual property of being good for employees while saving the company money. Where organizations fall down is that they create programs without figuring out how to get employees enthused about them. Focus on making participation fun and the program will pay off.
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Often, the best thing is just to ask employees what they need and what they would like. You do not need surveys, focus groups or a task force. Just talk to people.
Talk in the elevator, on the way to the parking lot, over a coffee, or in the hallway. Asking people what they think in casual, everyday chats will generate all the insights you need.
Ask employees what they need.
Introduce a “buddy” program for new hires. The onboarding process can be greatly enhanced by pairing new hires up with an established (not their manager) employee.
Having a resource for information on office procedures, culture quirks, or even the best places to grab lunch can make the first months of a new job much easier.
Not only does this sort of program help the new hire, but can provide an opportunity to re-engage the “buddy” by reaffirming their knowledge of the organization and reminding them of their first days on the job.
And while you’re at it… 10
Consider developing a mentor program. Pairing up individuals at different stages in their careers, in different departments, and different backgrounds and can be a valuable two-way street of knowledge transfer.
Whether it is a seasoned employee providing advice on career development or a younger employee providing insight into new technology or techniques, breaking down silos and hierarchies can have a profound effect on an organization and help your employees establish and reach goals.
Provide opportunities to be social both on- and offline. Employee groups on social networks or within company intranets can give employees a way to ask questions, share knowledge, have their voices heard, and develop connections. These forums and networks give employees access to colleagues and information through a familiar tool.
But don’t limit socializing to online activity! Give your employees a chance to mingle in real time as well. Encouraging open, face-to-face communication can help your employees build relationships that can help them overcome challenges. 12
Get creative and give time to employees to do the same. Set aside a day a quarter or a few hours every month for teams to brainstorm innovative ideas or share a creative endeavor. Infusing outside interests or injecting much needed creativity can break up the work monotony, build team trust, and bring new ideas to the table.
Develop your employees as brand ambassadorsRefresh training on products, reaffirm the company mission, and empower employees to spread the word on company milestones and achievements. Send out an email detailing a big win or the release of a new product, with a sharable message can instill a sense of pride in your workforce and an easy way to get the word out to the rest of the world.
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Start an employee “kudos” program. A sincere acknowledgement, a small reward, an email, or even a post-it note thanking employees for a job well done can go a long way to making employees feel valued and appreciated.
Building a culture of learning, engagement, and continuous improvement takes a whole lot of little initiatives. These simple ideas can help ensure your employees go further in 2016.
About SilkRoad
SilkRoad® is a leading global provider of cloud-based, end-to-end talent management solutions that enable customers to find, attract, develop, and retain the best talent. The award-winning SilkRoad® Life Suite® includes Talent Acquisition, Talent Development, and HRMS solutions that are delivered through a Talent Portal to drive greater engagement, collaboration, and user adoption. The suite is easy to deploy, easy to use, and affordable for businesses of every size. Visit www.silkroad.com for more information.
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Take Your Employees Further in 2016
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