10 steps to getting the best from your employees

Here are ten steps you might want to take in order to get the best from your employees.

Develop & communicate vision & strategy

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  • Agree the company’s main purpose and objectives and its plan for achievement.
  • Communicate & involve staff so they know why the company exists and buy in to the strategy.
  • Remind staff often about what you are aiming for and how you are doing as a business.
  • Set and monitor Key Performance Indicators to track progress.

Hire the best people

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  • Consider carefully what and who you are looking for.
  • Have a compelling ‘employer brand’.
  • Effectively communicate your brand, especially through recruitment channels.
  • Understand where your candidates are hiding & how to reach them.
  • Make applying for a job with your company as easy as possible. (You don’t have to make it easy to get the job though!)

Pay attention to culture & values

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  • Culture is driven by how people experience your company’s:
    • Values & beliefs
    • Behaviours
    • Working environment
    • Processes
  • Does everything in your company give the impression of a positive culture and values?
  • Leaders’ actions and behaviour is key. What do they pay particular attention to?

Organise for success

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  • Departmental responsibilities should be are clear to all, with no duplication or ‘gaps’.
  • Processes should flow seamlessly between departments.
  • Resources are structures should be efficient and ‘best fit’ to deliver the strategy.

Clear roles, requirements & measures

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  • Expectations for each role should be clearly stated and understood.
  • The type of skills and attributes a person needs to suit the role should also be clear so that you can recruit and train people well.
  • Outputs required of the role should be clearly stated and measured e.g. KPIs

Actively manage performance

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  • A practical approach should be taken at company, department and individual level to:
    • Plan and specify expected outputs / measures.
    • Track and review actual performance.
    • Make necessary adjustments to address any problems observed.
  • Managers should be trained in the skills of performance management i.e. set objectives, provide feedback and coach their team to make improvements.

Develop skills & talents

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  • Train your people to maintain necessary skills and qualities to be the best at what you do.
  • Anticipate future requirements and train to stay ahead of the game.
  • Identify your key talent and do what it takes to develop and retain them.
  • Praise the best examples of performance

Get the most out of your pay budget

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  • Understand the pay market in your sector / area and pay the going rate to get good people through the door.
  • Incentivise the right outputs and behaviours and reward the best.
  • Be creative about benefits.

Manage risk and integrity

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  • Provide professional employment documents and policies
  • Understand and demonstrate fair treatment to support a healthy, diverse culture and manage the risk of discrimination claims
  • Train your line managers in the essential requirements of managing people

Motivate your people

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  • Understand what makes your people tick
  • Think about helping your people to achieve:
    • Autonomy – being trusted to make decisions and influence things.
    • Mastery – becoming the best that they can be.
    • Purpose – felling part of something that has positive goals beyond just the profit motive.

Contact Menzies People Solutions team

For more information or guidance on how to get the best out of your employees or to discuss more complex situations, contact Menzies People Solutions team.