If you’re planning on setting up a business (or even if it is already up and running), you’ll eventually come to the point where you have to make new hires. Some naive entrepreneurs think that it’s a simple task of taking people on, telling them what to do, and then leaving them to their own devices. But it turns out that managing people is a lot more difficult than many imagine. People aren’t machines – so treating them as inputs in the production process will probably lead to problems.
When it comes to keeping staff happy and productive, what should you do?
Be An Example
There are two kinds of leaders in the world: transactional and transformational. Transactional leaders are those we’re most used to seeing in business: they’re people who say to the people under them, “work hard, and I’ll reward you with pay, benefits, and bonuses.” It’s a tit-for-tat relationship: you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours.
The other type of leader is transformational. This kind of leader doesn’t just want people to work hard to get paid – they want them to derive purpose and meaning from what they do so that they become self-motivated. Transformational leaders are rare, but when they pop up, they can extract fabulous productivity from their teams, achieving incredible rewards for all in the process.
Your job as the person managing your team should be to inspire the people who work for you to the extent that they internalize your drive and ambition and feel just as strongly about the success and mission of the company as you do.
Get Support
Managing staff can be a full-time job in itself. Not only do you have to cater to the emotional and psychological needs of the people who work for you, but you also have to consider the administrative burden too. Managing holidays, payroll and benefits can all take up a significant amount of your time. Is it something that you should be doing yourself?
Smart entrepreneurs ask themselves the question, “are there any personnel services near me who could take over these functions?” And the answer is usually “yes.” PEO companies can perform many of the standard business tasks involved in hiring people, allowing you to get on with what you do best.
Publicly Recognize Hard Work
Although some people can function perfectly happily without any recognition from management, they are rare. Most people need some kind of appreciation for what they do daily.
Successful team leaders and managers publicly recognize people for their hard work. Not only does public recognition make an employee feel wanted, but the acclaim can act as a great motivator. By affirming someone in a public way, you encourage them to continue the desirable behavior.
Don’t Treat People The Same
It can be tempting as a business leader to treat everyone the same. But people are different, and so the way that you interact with them should change depending on who you’re speaking to. Some employees are motivated by external rewards, while others prefer to achieve their goals under their own steam.