If you run a business of your own, you are well aware that you owe a lot to your employees. After all, they can be the potential driving force of the company given the right circumstances. It might be time to take a step back and look at just how much your employees do for you, let them know they are valued and appreciated. Here are a few ways in which you can feel like they are an essential part of the company rather than another cog in the machine.
Be transparent with them
As the leader and owner of the company, you should be fully transparent about you do things which concern everyone else. Keeping your employees updated with the current events in the company can go a long way. Other than doing it as a mere formality, your employees might have some very useful insight into whatever issues may be going on at the moment. Getting someone else’s educated perspective on the matter can really shed some new light on a decision.
Encourage feedback
Give your staff a voice, let them know that they can inform you about anything that may be on their mind. Be it something regarding the new changes in a department or maybe the new lunch hour timing, addressing the little things like can help them deal with everyday worries and make them feel that their opinion genuinely does matter. This does not mean that you should follow through with every single suggestion given, but even if you decline or decide not to go through with it, make sure to explain why rather than leaving them in the dark on the matter.
Secure them
If you have some valued employees that you know make a difference to the company and are near-irreplaceable, make them not want to leave. There are several ways to go about doing this, but mostly you should introduce some work-related perks that they get by working in the company. Offering them insurance as long as they are employed is sure to tempt most people into not leaving if they were considering it. It might sound rather pricey but acquiring a group medical insurance for your employees is nowhere near as expensive as you might initially think.
Allow for more flexible working hours, nothing gets to a person more than constant routine with absolutely no change. Giving the option to arrive earlier or later to work and then also leaving at the appropriate time as long as they get the required work done by the end of the day, should be a great motivational tool. Not only will it allow them to take care of things in their everyday life if needed, but it will make them feel like you trust them more than the average employer.
Do not be afraid of treating your staff like the adults they are. If you know someone is a bit down or having a bad day at work, let them take a longer lunch or even put their head down on the desk for a moment. Cumulatively, all the small perks will let them know you respect them and will make it much less likely for them to want to leave. If they do quit, your potential competition might gain a rather valuable asset to the team, however, if they stay many years because you kept them happy throughout, you will have an industry veteran on your side which is not to be underappreciated.