As a business owner (or manager), you want to show your employees that you care about them. You should care about their day-to-day lives, their happiness at work, and their career progress. Here’s how to show them.
Go above and beyond to personally help them
Never ignore their problems or concerns. Instead, be proactive in solving them. If an employee is upset about something going on at home, like a sick child or family emergency, do whatever you can to help make their work-life easier. If you don’t have the power to fix the problem for them directly (for example, if a customer is being difficult), then try to help them find someone who can.
Don’t act like you’re above them
Look for ways to help them do their jobs better. If an employee is struggling with a new software program, offer to take time during your lunch break to sit down and show them how it works. If you’re not sure how to help in a particular situation, ask!
Show you care about their personal life
When employees share their personal stories with you – a new baby, family emergency, etc. – ask follow-up questions about it to show that you care. You can even share something about yourself in return to establish a more personal connection.
Provide thoughtful benefits
Offer benefits that go beyond the basics. Consider hiring a company to clean their workspace for them or offering perks like gym memberships and food stipends. Also, you can buy health insurance for companies that won’t send your business into bankruptcy.
Back them up with customers
If you have a client that’s particularly difficult, do what you can to shield your employees. For example, if an employee is struggling with a difficult customer, don’t ignore their complaints. Find a solution that benefits everyone so the employee knows you have their back.
Thank them for what they do, publicly
Thank employees when they do good work, through email, or by giving out small rewards like gift cards for local restaurants. Showing your appreciation is meaningful and it demonstrates how much you care about their work and contributions.
Create opportunities for new experiences
Offer your employees ways to grow in their roles and explore new opportunities within the company. For example, ask them if they want to take on a project that’s slightly outside of their comfort zone or work with another employee on something. This’ll help them feel more empowered and valued in the organization.
Be aware of the expectations you set for your employees
Make sure that what you are asking of your employees is something you’d be willing to do. For example, if an employee is asked to come in on the weekend for a special event, make sure you would also be willing to cover their shift during the week in order to accommodate for it. That way, there are no resentments and everyone is on the same page.