Many of us know what it takes to grow a business. A strong marketing plan, a powerful brand identity, a well-designed website, great products, and excellent customer service are components that will set you on a path for success. But if you don’t have the right team behind you, you may not be able to achieve your goals.
This article will discuss what you need to know about staffing, performance management and team building so you can get your company headed in the right direction.
The Hiring Process to Grow Your Business
Building a good team starts with the hiring process. The first step is creating an ad that will attract the talent you need.
Think about the perfect candidate in terms of hard and soft skills. Then create an ad that calls for these skills.
And remember, it’s not all one sided. Include attributes that will make the person want the job such as benefits, job culture and environment.
Once you have your prime candidates selected, you will need to conduct interviews. Obviously, you’ll want to ask them about their hard and soft skills, accomplishments, and achievements, but it’s likely you will develop a gut feeling as to whether they are the right fit for your team.
It’s important to not necessarily look for a person that reminds you of yourself or anyone else you work with. Someone that adds diversity may bring that special something to the team that sets your company apart.
Consider not only how candidates answer the questions they are asked, but the questions they ask you. They may wonder what you are looking for from the ideal candidate. They may question you about job expectations.
The more relevant questions they ask, the more it shows they are thinking about a future with your company and how they can work to grow your business.
The hiring process isn’t over when the paperwork has been completed. There will also be onboarding, and training involved, and this is a crucial process when it comes to the employee’s future at the company.
Many employers drop the ball during the onboarding process. They don’t pay the new employee enough attention and they don’t provide the training they need. This can make the person feel like they won’t get to advance in their position and that they won’t be prepared for their workload.
It’s important to make employees feel as welcome as possible. If you, as an employer, are too busy to personally oversee the onboarding process, get one of your trusted workers to help. Make sure they train them new hire while providing them with a warm welcome to the team.
Develop a Strong Company Culture to Grow Your Business
The culture in your office makes a big difference in your employee’s performance.
There is no cut and dried method when it comes to developing your company culture and no two businesses will be the same. But you should do your best to integrate your personal values into how you run your office.
For example, if you are the type of company that likes to give back, you may want to organize volunteering events that will be beneficial to the community and provide a sense of comradery in the office.
But more than anything, it’s about treating your employees well. Providing days off, regular raises and benefits will make employees loyal so they will want to do their best for the company.
You can also boost culture by providing amenities in the office like a fitness center and meditation spaces. Even a break room with fresh coffee can be a terrific perk.
Incorporate Strong Leadership Practices
Depending on how big your company is, you may be directly in charge of your teams, or you may have managers in charge of your teams. Either way, the right leadership skills are important. Here are a few that you should integrate in your workspace.
Integrity: A leader should have integrity. They must stand by their beliefs. If they don’t, they will set a poor example for their teams. They may also drive the business down by not representing an honest front.
Out of the Box Thinking: Leaders need to be creative and innovative. This will be valuable in problem solving. It will also motivate others to think outside the box.
Active Listening: A leader must be an active listener. He or she must pay attention to communication from the team, superiors, and customers.
Active listening doesn’t mean just paying attention to what people are saying. It requires asking questions, taking in body language queues and facial expressions. These strategies will provide a leader with the information they need to come up with solutions.
Self Confidence: If a leader doesn’t believe in themselves, no one will. A self-confident attitude will make teams feel good about the advice they are getting, and it will inspire them to move forward.
Good Communication: A leader will not only listen actively, but they will also communicate well with others. They will express ideas in a language that can be easily understood by the person they are communicating with. They will answer emails and messages promptly which shows a high level of professionalism, care, and organization.
Delegation: It is crucial that a leader delegates wisely. This can start with themselves. When a leader is overwhelmed by work, they should know when to hand tasks off to other members of staff to take some of the stress off their shoulders.
They should also be aware of which team members to assign tasks to. They should know the strengths and weaknesses of the people they are dealing with, so they always pick the right person for the task at hand.
Fairness: It’s important for a leader to be fair. If he or she needs to resolve a conflict or come up with a solution, they must consider all sides and keep their personal views to themselves. This will promote loyalty while allowing them to come up with the best strategies.
Inquisitiveness: A leader should be inquisitive. This will cause them to investigate new systems that provide a more efficient way of working in the office. It will also encourage them to take risks that could pay off in a big way.
Self-Motivated: If a leader isn’t self-motivated, they won’t be able to provide their team with the inspiration they need to move forward.
Empathetic: A leader should have the ability to put themselves in the shoes of the people on their team. This will allow them to determine what will make the workers happy and what could potentially upset them. This type of caring attitude will make employees feel cared for. It will produce a loyal and pleasant relationship in the office.
Incorporate the Right Performance Management Strategies
Performance management is another key aspect in building a strong company. Leaders can enhance performance management by integrating the following strategies.
Setting a Goal: Everyone on a team should be working towards a common goal. They may be looking to boost sales, come out with a new product or improve customer service. Whatever the goal is, everyone should be aware of it, and they should be given the tools they need to achieve it.
Create Small Milestones: Everyone works for goals in their own way, but the leader should be providing a recommended path in the form of smaller milestones. For example, if the goal is to increase sales by $12,000 by the end of the year, employees may be focused on boosting numbers by $250 a week or $1000 a month. If they are trying to create a new product, time can be set aside for productive brainstorming sessions.
Feedback: Leaders should provide feedback, so employees know where they stand. The feedback should be presented in a positive manner. That way, workers will understand what improvements need to be made so they have clear guidelines on how to reach their professional goals.
Rewards Systems: Rewards can be a powerful performance management tool and there’s nothing wrong with a little friendly competition in the office. You can create a rewards system by putting up a board in the office showing who is coming closest to their sales goals. Reward the winner with a gift certificate to their favorite coffee shop. Raises may be the best rewards systems of all.
Hold Daily Pep Talks: It’s advisable to hold pep talks with your staff, preferably at the beginning of the day. Review where you’re at and what needs to be done. Keep things positive and energetic so workers are in a productive frame of mind. And if you’re the CEO with managers primarily communicating with staff, take some time off from your busy day to pay them a visit occasionally.
Your business will only be as strong as the members of your team. Using the right staffing methods and following up by providing a strong culture in the office, effective leaders and powerful performance management strategies will help your company move forward. How will you be integrating these tactics in your business to take it to the next level?
If you have questions or would like to get started, please give us a call at (312) 834-7787 or visit our website to request a free quote and consultation.