Tips for Crafting Well Equipped Employees

As employee satisfaction is at the forefront for recruiters, companies are scrambling to keep employees engaged at work. It was found that 85% of employees are disengaged from their workplace. There is no desire for them to give any effort and instead resort to doing just enough to get by. Employee turnover rates are largely due to factors as simple as not wanting to go into the office anymore. This is a shocking reality that many companies are struggling with throughout the past couple of years but why is that?

The talent shortage facing industries is adding to the problem as well, making the operation of companies inefficient and expensive. This situation certainly doesn’t seem ideal to say the least, but it is not unsolvable. The root of the problem is that there is no drive for employees to want to produce their best work. If a company cannot motivate its employees, how will they attract top talent?

Researchers found that employee retention improves by 82% and productivity by 70% when onboarding practices are positive. This is a significant factor to consider, the welcoming process and training for employees set the pace for morale. This should be a strong incentive for companies to implement the best possible onboarding practices. However, it can be confusing where to start, so let's look at what where to begin:

Get To Know Employees

Most companies have a standard training process that each new hire is put through (varying from departments) until they are steady enough. The issue here is that you cannot expect everyone to respond effectively to the same method. Having discussions with employees and getting to know their interests, goals, and skills is a good way to see how you can teach them. This will also be a good indicator to see what opportunities you can provide them. But how should you approach this?

It is best to meet informally, it can be one on one or in a group. The goal is to allow members to open up freely, dropping the employer to employee discomfort. In short, align training with the needs of each employee. 

Incorporate On The Job Learning

You’ve heard the common phrase “the best teacher is experience” and this is completely relevant in the workplace. Explanations can only get you so far, they are best for delivering basic amounts of information. However, you’ll want to expose new hires to the reality of your workplace as soon as possible. In addition, this style of training is much more time and cost-effective. 

Apply Feedback 

Always be open with employees about their performance in a constructive way. Bear in mind that they’re still new and adapting to this new work environment. Companies can do this in many different ways whether it be weekly reviews or assigning a task and giving feedback. As well, ask employees how they feel about the training they’re doing. Find out directly from them what you can incorporate to assist their learning. This type of communication is essential to employee development. In addition, it will demonstrate that a company values its employees. 

Use Gradual Implementation

You don’t want to overwhelm your employees with all this information, questions, and training procedures. This is where it’s important to pay attention to yourself as a leader and recognize areas that need more attention and where you should ease up. This is the first step to creating an environment where employees will feel comfortable being around for the long haul.

Conclusion

To build an organization of talented individuals in 2022, companies must create an environment that is supportive of their employees' needs. Keeping these tips in mind can lead to the construction of empowering company culture. Now to do this effectively will take leaving the comfort zone that employers are used to. Give it a proper chance and see what it can do for your team.

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

Transparent Communication: Workplace Essentials

When you are in a company setting, you are a part of a team. Being a part of a team means that everyone on that team is inclined to achieve the same goal. But that is not enough to understand how a team operates. What are the characteristics of a team? Shouldn't teams be supportive of one another? Look out for each other? Of Course, they should, but oftentimes teams can get out of sync. When this happens, people begin to divide and messages don’t properly flow through the chain of command.

Commonly, this is caused by conflict within the teams. This brings out assumptions of members' competence, lack of explanation, the lists go on. Whatever the reason may be, it needs to be addressed and solved in the most appropriate way possible. When communication is not transparent within an organization, it becomes extremely counterproductive to achieving. This can be seen when a leader becomes too attached to things being done a certain way.

While yes, they are in command, they need to realize that the teams which they lead are the ones who will execute procedures. For this reason, teams and leaders need to operate as one. A lot of times we say teams should run like a “well-oiled machine” but this is not what we’re talking about here. A machine cannot learn, grow, adapt, or bond like a team needs to. 

So what should a team do when faced with friction in the organization? There are numerous ways to tackle this, but oftentimes all it requires is going back to the basics.

Communicate

Solving communication issues simply requires communication. While it does sound simple, that does not make it easy. There are numerous things to account for when stepping up to solve a problem. In this case, the best interest of the team is stand-alone. For this reason, leaders and team members must analyze the situation to determine the best course of action. 

For example, let's say a leader on a construction site implements a new policy requiring workers to log time and changes allocated to different tasks. The leader sees it as an effective way for everyone to know how long something will take and what the previous worker has changed. The workers see it as the time taken away from other tasks they could be doing. As a result, they stop logging the data, and the leader just assumes it is because they’re lazy and become frustrated.

In a situation like this, most leaders would re-explain the process and its importance as they assume the workers simply didn’t understand it or didn’t want to do it. However, this will provide no benefit, and will only cause further complications. Instead, the leader should’ve talked to the workers directly to determine a system that works best for them, considering they are the ones the system is made for.

This is a simple way to see the dynamic which can arise in teams. This type of dynamic is not something any business wants. Making assumptions and criticism will never solve. Problems need to be dealt with as they come.

Detach From The Situation

When an organization is faced with confusion, the best thing to do is detach from the situation before reacting. This means not acting on impulse, removing emotion from the equation, and looking at the situation logically. It is important to understand how stepping back can benefit decision-making.

Ask yourself, what information are we missing? Who’s most likely to have this information? How can we collaborate best to solve this?

This response will eliminate the risk of blaming and will allow team members to take accountability. Detachment from the situation will reflect your emotional intelligence when faced with conflict. The great thing about this method is that it can be used at any level of the team. 

Be Consistent

Problems and confusion will arise, the baseline for handling these barriers is consistent communication. Always allow communication to be free-flowing, this can involve weekly meetings where everyone must share a thought from their week. Whatever it may be, make it a routine. 

Conclusion

Communication is a pillar to success, there are numerous methods and philosophies around it but all that matters is finding what works. Know that this will take time and that it’s okay so long as the organization continues to practice. 

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!

How to Improve Your Customer Experience

As we are seeing the trajectory of the dominating online business world, customer experience has been prominent as a leading pillar in the foundation of marketing. Consumers are looking for the best possible customer service, over 85% of whom will pay up to 25% more for such an experience. Feeling valued and as though you are supporting a business that values its customers is something that will lead to repeat business. Failing to uphold high-quality customer service will result in a loss of business.

Researchers are finding that almost 90% of customers will go to a competitor because of poor customer service. A great customer experience is rooted in the company's ability to create a supportive environment for employees who are handling customers. Prioritizing an inclusive and empowering company culture is a very effective method to ensure employees can deliver a great experience. It is also a major attraction to those looking for jobs in today’s market.

Studies have shown that 94% of entrepreneurs and 88% of those searching for jobs say that company culture is critical for success. 

The pattern we are noticing here is that providing a community-based environment for employees to work in translates to success in the quality of customer experience. Employee retention dips when they don't feel valued, it was found that 77% of Canadians who left their job in 2020 did so for a better opportunity. The same concept applies to customers, the customer experience is the root for 80% of the connection customers feel to a brand. The goal is to be in a position where your company can provide a supportive environment for both.

So how can you create an environment that delivers a top-quality customer experience? 

Customer Support Systems

With so many businesses gaining their sales through eCommerce, quality of experience and customer relations must be maintained. It is no longer the faces you see in the store, customer service must be easily accessible online. Methods like 24-hour access to a representative, live chats, and even social media are great for upkeeping customer care. These systems must be held to a standard that is frequently checked and updated for quality assurance.

Hire Accordingly

Hiring individuals who possess the skills to deliver this experience is where the process begins. Communication skills are after all the most sought after in any business environment. To find these candidates, ask interview questions structured on how important company culture is to them and what makes a customer experience special. Even after an individual who meets this criterion is hired, training practices that prepare for these service standards must be implemented. 

Upkeep Standards of Product

Whatever business you’re in, you are providing something for someone. How great is what you’re offering? Is it worth the price? Quality assurance is an essential pillar to gain clients, but also to create repeat business. For example, if your company provides a service, have standards for consistency of delivery. If you sell a physical product, ensure that it is kept in the right condition and that quality is consistent. It is the recurring theme of ensuring consistency of quality to support consumer needs that separate a good customer experience from a great customer experience. 

Value and Analyze Feedback

Asking clients how their experience was is an effective tool commonly used by many businesses. Take this feedback and find ways to improve current tactics that will be reflective in your organization's delivery of services. Not only is this demonstrating your care for the client's input, but it allows for a direct answer to any possible issues in your current methods. A lot of times, people associate critique as a negative. That it is almost an insult to the company when this is simply not the case.

There is always room for improvement no matter how advanced a company, organization, team, or individual is. So in short, embrace feedback.

Conclusion

While developing a customer experience standard, know that you will not always be able to please everyone. This is just a natural part of the development process, and it’s important to know that no company ever fully develops to perfection. As we looked at, even negative critique can lead to positive changes in the future. Refer back to these tips while developing your customer service systems. Decide what your organization stands for and how you will live up to the standards you make for it. 

We work with successful companies to increase their net profits using exceptional custom software solutions, contact us here to see how we can help your business grow!