Labor Day weekend, for most employees, marks the start of the school year, the end of summer, and (possibly) a long weekend. For businesses, however, Labor Day should be an important time to reflect on how we lead and support our workforce.
First, we’ll start with some brief history. Labor Day was originally meant to recognize the contributions of the Labor Movement of the late 19th century. While employee rights have come a long way from the expectation of grueling seven day work weeks, there are many ways business owners can recognize the hard work of their employees.
Looking beyond coffee and donuts, here are five ways that you can show your employees how much you value them this Labor Day:
1. Recognize Little Wins
Recognizing the small things your staff is doing can be challenging. It’s easy to take for granted what employees consistently do to keep your business running efficiently. Often times we can be so focused on what isn’t working, that we fail to recognize what aspects of the business are running smoothly. Take the time to see how your staff is completing work without your guidance. Do your technicians consistently complete service reports correctly? Do employees regularly upsell services or products? Recognize them for it! Most employees enjoy feeling seen and heard. Sometimes, recognizing the little things are more meaningful than bigger tasks. It shows employees that their employer is paying attention. When you can, take a walk thru the office and take a moment to thank your staff for the day-to-day tasks that often go unnoticed.
2. Streamline Tasks While Cutting Expenses
Remove the tedius tasks from your staff’s workday. One way to accomplish this is by hiring a live answering service to handle overflow and overnight calls. This is one of the most affordable ways to streamline administrative tasks, which can include appointment scheduling, appointment reminder services, and email management, to name a few. These services helps both owners and employees stay organized and focused on their primary duties. Instead of having your highly skilled employees spend time answering phones and logging call information, outsourcing to a company with call center services can reduce payroll expenses. By hiring a professional answering service to handle incoming calls from customers, you can eliminate instances of missed calls, and therefore, increase potential revenue. WESP Communications offers a variety of plans to meet the needs of all company sizes!
3. Communicate Expectations
Expectation management is an important tool for managers and owners. It is important that, as a leader, you are aware of what you expect from your employees and communicate those expectations clearly. Is there an employee who never seems to get a certain aspect of their job completed to your standard? Do a review of their training. Are shortcomings really a matter of laziness, or has the staff member not been properly trained, or need a refresher? Regardless, without taking the time to communicate expectations, you leave yourself open to the response, “But nobody told me!” when issues arrise.
4. Get Feedback
The end of summer can be a great time to sit down with employees and discuss short and long term goals. Check-in, either formally or informally, with employees and have some open-ended questions prepared to identify employees’ short and long term goals, or outstanding issues. Try to gauge how you can support these individual goals. Maybe some employees are interested in additional training. Are you able to help pay for courses or provide schedule flexibility to support them? Is an employee struggling to coordinate childcare? Look for ways to support telework options or develop a work schedule that allows for better childcare options. Even if you can’t directly impact your employees’ goals or challenges, being aware of their interests and periodically asking how they are progressing in their personal or professional goals shows the qualities of a leader.
5. If You’re Going to Buy Pizza, Buy The Good Pizza
Wait, is it Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe or Pizza by Alfredo? If you’re a fan of The Office, you get the reference. There are few things that can derail an attempt to recognize your employees, more than food that your employees don’t enjoy. Before you assume everyone likes the same kind of food, get an idea of any diet restrictions or healthy options your employees might prefer. In essence, if you’re going to buy pizza, make sure it’s the good pizza.
