Vigorbuddy.com | How to invest in employee development for better business | Contrary to the popular belief, investing in your employee development as a business owner is always a wise choice. Business owners tend to believe that their employees have the duty to work on themselves in order to thrive in their work environment. However, it is the business owners’ duty to invest in their own business by investing in employee development.
Give regular bonuses
Smaller businesses aren’t always able to pay bonuses in cash, which is many people’s preferable payment. However, that does not mean that you should give up on giving bonuses.
There are other ways to motivate your employees, other than paying them with money.
Other than the usual health care, insurance, and days off, bonuses like free childcare, or a casual work day can be rewarding, too. If most of your employees have children, it would be wise to set up some kind of childcare within the vicinity of the business, to ease the mind of the parents, as well as the commute. Your colleagues will be more present at work, knowing that their children are being well taken care of, and close by if anything happens.
Additionally, you can give your employees a chance to work from home if your business allows it. One day, or even two days a week, working from home takes the stress out of commuting, getting dressed, and buying lunch.
Feedback is important
Employees thrive when given feedback. Whether you offer them feedback directly or through team leaders, make sure it’s useful and that they can learn something from it. While offering feedback may not appear to be an investment in and of itself, it does involve time spent talking with your staff and analyzing their work.
Many employees, believe it or not, are more driven to overcome hurdles and complete their jobs if they receive proper feedback. Don’t merely praise their work after you’ve decided to offer them criticism. Provide constructive comments that will assist them in improving their work.
Give them a chance for promotion
Providing opportunities for advancement is one of the most effective methods to increase employee morale and inspire them to be more productive. You will keep your staff and gain a fantastic reputation on the market if you provide such possibilities. The benefits of good referrals and word of mouth are undeniable. As a result, this investment pays off handsomely.
However, you must use caution in this area. Only those who genuinely deserve it and are invested in your company’s success should be promoted. You’ll encourage people to be more active, take initiative, and be more productive at work this way. For both sides, it’s a win-win situation!
Provide training and education
Have you ever questioned what your employees’ main objective is? Even though they are hired by your firm, most employees strive to improve their skills and expertise. The greatest approach to provide them this chance is to include training and extra education as part of their benefits package!
There are several options for training your workers. Obtaining high-quality training materials that your workers can utilize to learn new skills is one of the most convenient and dependable methods. RTO training resources, for example, provide a variety of training tools to assist your colleagues in learning new skills and applying said skills in their daily jobs.
Take an active interest in your employees
Watching your staff grow and learn is a very rewarding process, even though it can sometimes be a highly complex one. It takes a lot of time and energy, and you must understand that creating a positive atmosphere is crucial. Everything will be much better if your colleagues are willing to learn, right? You should, however, play an active role in this process as well.
When your workers realize that you care about the process, it will be much simpler for them to do the same. It will also demonstrate to them that you are committed to learning yourself, which is an advantage you should not neglect. So be a part of the process at all times, and your employees will follow!
Invest in the workplace
Another way you can show your employees that you care about them, and their progress, is by investing in the office that they spent the majority of their time in. Getting comfortable furniture, good lighting, and letting your employees personalize space will certainly set the right mood in the office.
Additionally, you can spruce up the break room as well. Getting a comfortable couch for a coffee break, or a state-of-the art coffee machine will certainly get you some points from your employees.
You can even organize a small in-office gathering every month, where you will buy pizza and beer, and let your colleagues chat stress-free. That way, they will be more inclined to trust you, and to come to you first with whichever problem they may have in the office.
By investing in your employees, you are long-term investing in your business, too, especially if you are just starting out as a small business.
Mike is an Australian business consulting specialist. He’s working with companies that outsource their IT maintenance. He often writes about technology, business and marketing and is a regular contributor on several websites.