Nearly 40% of Canadian professionals or employees have left jobs because of a substandard employer, according to Robert Half. If you’re planning to start a business in the future, you need to know what it takes to not only grow a business, but also how to be an excellent boss for whom your team wants to work. So, what do you need to do to become an outstanding employer?
Use Positive, Confident Communication
If you would like to become an outstanding employer, the language that you use with colleagues and subordinates should convey positivity, and confidence according to Judith Humphrey of The Humphrey Group. For example, Humphrey notes that responding, “No problem” to an employee who has advised you about a potential issue implies there was in fact a problem. She adds that using phrases such as “no problem” or “no worries” undermine your authority and ability. There are many books and classes that you can take to strengthen your grasp of business language, which can create a better culture for your employees.
Recognize a Job Well Done
Many employees complain that their bosses take their work for granted. Yes, employees are remunerated for their work, but when your employee has performed exceptionally well, make sure that you recognize their achievement. This recognition could be communicated at a staff meeting, in a company newsletter or even by dropping by their cubicle or office and giving them positive feedback about their performance. Your recognition of their work will increase your employee’s job satisfaction and it’s a well-known fact that happy employees perform better.
Provide Insurance for Your Employees
Employers should always strive to provide a safe work environment, say employee insurance experts at Cerity. However, an average of 110,000 people per day deal with a work-related injury, according to the World Health Organisation. As a boss, it is your responsibility to ensure that your team members are protected if they experience an accident at work by having workers’ compensation insurance. Not only will this give your employees peace of mind that they will be compensated, but it will also protect your business from potential litigation.
If you are a Canadian employer, you are obligated to pay Workers’ Compensation Insurance premiums to your province’s Workers’ Compensation Board, which provides public insurance for accidents experienced on the job to all employees in that province.
Establish Priorities
Work can be incredibly stressful, especially if employees are confused about priorities. A successful employer establishes a clear direction on priorities. Jon Christiansen reports in the Harvard Business Review: “Each worker [at Disney’s] Magic Kingdom is given a list of priorities with items ordered from the most to the least important. Safety comes first, followed by courtesy, show (or performance) next, and finally, efficiency.” You can employ productivity tools that help you keep track of ongoing processes and streamline them so that you can set more achievable goals across the board. Maintain open lines of communication in your business so that your employees can give you feedback on which goals are reasonable and which ones cannot be achieved.
Running a business isn’t just about generating profits. It is also about establishing and maintaining a balance between your role as an entrepreneur and as an employer. Always remember that it is vital to educate yourself on how to become an outstanding employer. That way, not only will your profits grow, but your employees will be more satisfied, which is simply good for business.
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