How to Get the Most out of Your Workforce

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, HR Strategy: Job Leveling (26-slide PowerPoint presentation). Job Leveling is a disciplined approach to gauge the value of work for individual positions across the organization. It entails ascertaining the nature of work done by each position, authority levels, and the effect of each job on business results. Jobs that are configured inadequately bread [read more]

Also, if you are interested in becoming an expert on Human Resource Management (HRM), take a look at Flevy's Human Resource Management (HRM) Frameworks offering here. This is a curated collection of best practice frameworks based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. By learning and applying these concepts, you can you stay ahead of the curve. Full details here.

* * * *

Keeping your team motivated and productive is one of the hardest challenges facing any business owner. Not doing so could doom your business to failure as ultimately, any enterprise is only as good as the people working for it. While every company is different, there are a number of tactics you can employ that will help provide your employees with a great foundation for future success.

Feed their passions

The more passionate your employees are about their jobs, the more enthusiastic they will be. The key is to ensure the personal goals of your team are aligned with those of the company as when this happens; workers see that the more invested they are in their jobs, the faster they will build up the skills in the areas that interest them the most.

Empower your team

In the early days of an enterprise it makes sense for all major decision to be filtered through the CEO, but as a company grows, this can create a productivity bottleneck. At some point, it’s vital to allow employees to have the autonomy to make their own decisions. Doing so also frees up those higher up the management chain as they will not be spending such a high proportion of their time dealing with queries from those reporting to them.

Employees in positions of power should also be encouraged so far as possible to take risks and to think outside the box as it is through this kind of attitude that many great innovations have been created.

Utilize an Employee Assistance Program

One of the best ways to get more from your team is to call in outside specialists who can provide a wealth of services, such as health, financial, legal and wellness services, to ensure your employees are always firing on all cylinders.

Studies show that four out of 5 employees are not performing at their peak level, but the Employee Assistance Program of the ESI Group can help change this. The Peak Performance Benefits program can maximize the productivity of all your employees.

Use the best technology

A bad worker may be inclined to blame their tools, but it is a fact that those working with inferior equipment or systems will find it difficult to match the productivity or efficiency of those who are able to use systems that are more advanced. If you want the most from your team, it’s important to ensure they are equipped with the best possible equipment for the job.

New developments, especially in the field of automation and artificial intelligence, are being introduced all the time so delegate someone within the company to spend at least a little of their time keeping tabs on emerging technologies, so that you are able to take advantage of innovations as soon as they are released.

Give praise where due

Ensuring your employees receive praise in front of their colleagues whenever they truly deserve it can help to maintain their motivation during difficult times and serve as an additional incentive to keep working hard. Such actions can also boost job satisfaction which in turn can reduce turnover within your team.

In order for such a program to work, it is important to maintain high standards and ensure team members are not praised simply for the sake of it. Giving positive recognition for work that is below the accepted standards will simply set a bad precedent among other works and lead to an overall decline in standards.

Want to Achieve Excellence in Human Resource Management (HRM)?

Gain the knowledge and develop the expertise to become an expert in Human Resource Management (HRM). Our frameworks are based on the thought leadership of leading consulting firms, academics, and recognized subject matter experts. Click here for full details.

The purpose of Human Resources (HR) is to ensure our organization achieves success through our people. Without the right people in place—at all levels of the organization—we will never be able to execute our Strategy effectively.

This begs the question: Does your organization view HR as a support function or a strategic one? Research shows leading organizations leverage HR as a strategic function, one that both supports and drives the organization's Strategy. In fact, having strong HRM capabilities is a source of Competitive Advantage.

This has never been more true than right now in the Digital Age, as organizations must compete for specialized talent to drive forward their Digital Transformation Strategies. Beyond just hiring and selection, HR also plays the critical role in retaining talent—by keeping people engaged, motivated, and happy.

Learn about our Human Resource Management (HRM) Best Practice Frameworks here.