You’ve got some great employees who have the skills to do well. Yet when you look at the actual work produced, you see some stagnation in what they have produced versus what they could produce. Rather than treating them like wayward kids who won’t do their homework, what strategies can you use to get them to show off their skills and do what they’re capable of?
- Recognize them for their work. Everyone wants to get acknowledgement for the good work they’ve done. Too often employees will knock themselves out on a project and get no response from a superior. Even a “Hey, you did some great work on the ABC project” will help motivate employees to do more. And if someone goes above and beyond, getting the department together to recognize that person goes way beyond the average department email (although that has its place as well!).
- Let them make decisions. Micromanaging stifles employees’ desire to do their jobs — why would they want to put effort into something when they know their manager will come along and redo the entire thing? Allowing them the autonomy to make some of the decisions regarding their own work goes a long way toward encouraging productivity. When an employee feels it’s their work, they’re far more likely to take more responsibility and see that it’s done well because it matters more to them.
- Give them the tools they need. Whether it’s better technology or a course that allows them to learn a new skill, doing so will empower employees to do their best. Think of the last time you needed to accomplish something but didn’t have what you needed. How frustrated did you feel until you finally got what you needed? Making sure employees have the necessary tools to do their jobs to the best of their ability allows them to work productively.
If you want rock-star employees, you need to give them what they need to put on the best show possible. When you want to find your next rock star, work with the experienced recruiters at PrideStaff Thousand Oaks Ventura County.
