The best employees are always a startup’s biggest assets. Take a look at the most successful startups on the market today and you will find two things in common amongst them: they all value their employees and they take active steps towards increasing that value.
If you’re looking for ways to improve productivity, increase the value of your employees and have them performing at their best, then the next 5 tips we are about to discuss in this article will certainly help you get started.
1. Be part of the family
The last thing you want in a startup – especially when your business is relatively new – is a gap between management and employees; that’s a gap between you and your workers. It’s okay to have an enclosed office and some added facilities, but you should always spend time on the office floor and build a stronger relationship with your employees.
One of the things you can do is take steps towards getting to know your employees on a more personal level. Find out what they like and have conversations that are not about work. Don’t hesitate to buy a few extra cups of coffee for them in the morning, especially if you know the kind of coffee they love to drink.
2. Two-way communications
The next thing to do is allow employees to speak up at all times. Maintaining a healthy, two-way communication is critically important when you’re a startup. The market is competitive enough and you need all the help you can get to maintain a competitive edge. Your employees can give you that help.
You will find a lot of interesting ideas, valuable insights and many more once you start communicating better with your workers. If you’re in retail, for instance, letting shop managers and keepers fill you in with information on customers can really help you make better decisions in the long run.
3. A sense of ownership
The two tips we talked about earlier help develop another important value: a sense of ownership. When employees have a sense of ownership – a feeling that they belong in the company – they will be much more productive. Facing problems will be so much easier since you have your workers helping you every step of the way.
4. Let them grow
Always provide enough opportunity for your employees to grow. If you’re running a security startup, for instance, you can provide the opportunity for key employees to get a Homeland Security degree and improve their skills along the way.
There are online courses and distance learning programs that will help you grow your employees’ skills without taking them off work. Offer financial aids and facilities and you will have a lot more skilled workers in no time.
5. Be genuine
Last but certainly not least, be genuine as you try to develop the value of your employees as an asset. Care about them in an authentic way, think about ways you can improve their – and your – life and don’t hesitate to ask them about what you (and the company) can do to make them even happier.
The market is growing and the competition is getting stricter, but you have the best employees to help you succeed. With a strong team powering your startup, you have nothing to worry about.