No one needs to tell you this as you already know: “your people are the backbone of your company!” Without your employees, you are nowhere. They are your brand ambassadors, they come up with solutions when it’s most needed, they provide the quality and the unique value to your product, and they also ensure that you have a product at the end of the day. 

Especially as no one is making ‘things’ at the conveyor belt anymore (unless you are), the lines between product and service are blurring. And as they do, the service element and the know-how what constitutes excellent service is locked into the hearts and minds of your employees.

That’s why every good business owner knows that keeping your employees happy and feeling challenged (in a positive way) is critical to maintaining business success. Here are three key elements to keep your employees (and therefore your business) in peak condition.

The Right Price

First of all, it is about pay. This is a bit of a balancing act. As we, as humans, can be quite money-orientated when it comes to salary. End of the day, money enables us to live the life we want. Making sure you have a good pay packet is key to ensure you keep your employees. As soon as you are negotiating the minimum of a living wage, you might have already lost the battle. Of course, it’s not all about pay, but you do need to compensate at a reasonable level.

Work-Life Balance

Secondly, it should be about life, then work. Often employers don’t dare to look outside their own bubble. If for example, they have a weekly rota where they have to deal with sudden sickness of an employee, they tend to put the emphasis on business continuity rather than an employee being ill. In some cases, to the extent where they put extreme pressures for someone to still come in (“you sure you can’t grin and bear?” That’s not part of a healthy working climate. Companies could opt to go the other way. For example, the UK’s leading rota software from Deputy offers companies to create rotas collaboratively. When you involve employees in the business and provide transparency, not only do you empower them, they will also feel more involved and will go the extra mile.

Inclusivity

Thirdly, it’s about identity. You can have the highest pay packet or flexible working arrangements, but if the person they are at work is entirely different to who they actually are (in private), you might be dealing with a ticking time bomb. If, for whatever reason, your employees to pretend to be someone else, they are spending large swaths of energy they could be putting into the work itself. And it’s not only about getting the most out of someone, but there could also be more serious factors that contribute to someone pretending to be something they are not. Getting to know your employees well, encouraging them to feel comfortable at work and letting them know that you promote a diverse and inclusive culture is vital to build a better workforce for the rest of 2019.