Whether you’re a classic corporate CEO or a modern day leader, you know that in today’s business world one of the better longer term boosts to your company’s bottom line is through employee engagement. While this used to involve an extra day off for Christmas vacation, getting the most out of your workforce, and in turn, your productivity (read: bottom line) requires a little more.
Alignment
It has always been an employee focus that there be a clear path for advancement. Whether that be climbing the ladder through management or simply moving towards finding a space they feel comfortable working in until retirement. For this purpose, it’s important for there to be an appropriate level of alignment with their goals and the company’s bottom line. The important aspect of this program is for it to be appropriate. If you are working with production staff, it may not be beneficial for the goals to be aligned with the company’s profits as a whole – instead, localize their targets with something closer to their level. If an employee doesn’t feel as though they can directly affect the outcome, they are likely to not even try.
Old Ways Can Still Be the Best Ways
While mentioned above as a classic, employees still see the benefit of additional time off for special holidays. An extra day off for your workforce during a holiday season can see tremendous benefits prior to the holiday and after their return. Of course, tangible rewards are still the most powerful at this level. Providing out-performing staff with gifts like Groupon coupons for their favorite stores or even gift baskets delivered to their desks can see an immediate and often infectious boost in their productivity, and to the company’s bottom line.
The Power of Presence
You may be surprised at the power of seeing high-level management and even the CEO can have on a workforce. If you’re managing staff, move out of your office and spend some time working in the same environment as your production staff. This isn’t an intimidation tactic, instead, it can help to build a sense of familiarity between your workforce and yourself. Something as simple as spending one day a week at different desks around your office can help to improve the perfection of you as a leader and, in turn, their connection with you.
While there are many ways to improve the profit margin of any business, for longer term solutions, your workforce truly do become your biggest asset.