Customers are the most important part of a business, but the employees are its most valuable asset. Fair pay, good benefits, and opportunities for growth and advancement attract and keep good workers. When employees feel cared for, they care for the company. They will be willing to go the extra mile to ensure success in the present and down the road.
In addition to pay and benefits, there are other things you can do to let your employees know you value and care for them. Some may seem small but they can have a big impact.
1. Salary Should Be Sacred
Mistakes can happen in the best of companies, but an employee’s paycheck should be considered sacred. Using hospitality HR software can help ensure that your workers always receive the proper compensation in their checks in a timely fashion. Your people work hard and they earn every penny you pay them.
2. Be Transparent
Whether you are imparting good news or bad, your employees will appreciate honesty. When offering feedback, be polite and constructive, but never tell a worker something you think they want to hear. Transparency will build trust and loyalty.
3. Relate to Them on the Same Level
It’s your business and you are the boss, but don’t act as if you are above your employees. This creates a gap and makes workers feel like you don’t care about them as people. Relate to them as fellow human beings. Their goals are your goals. Ask them about their families and lives outside of work. Connect with them as co-workers and not as the boss and you will foster healthy workplace relationships and happy employees.
4. Go Out of Your Way
If an employee is dealing with an issue at work or at home, be willing to help in any way you can. This could be giving them some time off, finding ways to ease a heavy workload, or just listening sympathetically to them. When you show a willingness to go above and beyond, they will do the same. This is a win for everyone.
5. Always Have Their Backs
Clients and customers must be respected and treated well, but the popular saying, “The customer is always right”, is incorrect. If a client is abusive or unreasonable, back up your employee. It is their job to offer top-notch customer service, not to be a punching bag for mean-spirited people. When an employee knows you’ve got their back, they will work that much harder for you.
6. Be Free With Compliments
Don’t be the type of employer who feels that when a worker does a good job their paycheck is reward enough. Offer compliments whenever an employee performs well, especially if the task was challenging. A good paycheck is a nice reward but when the boss takes the time to be thankful and complimentary, the employee will feel valued and cared for.
In any business, you are only going to be as good as your employees. Pay them fairly, and take the time to do the little extra things that show them you value their work and care about them as people.