Without your staff would you have a business?
If the answer is ‘no’ your staff obviously play a huge role in your business. In fact they are worth their weight in gold. And part-time and casual staff are just as important as full-timers. They need to be treated as part of the team.
There’s a big job involved here. To be effective in business you must be able to properly manage people. Communication, listening to your team, showing them that you care and understand their problems, explaining where the business is and where it’s going – these are essential leadership ingredients.
And bear in mind, managing people takes time. Don’t assume a half-hearted approach by squeezing staff issues into a weekly specified time slot.
Think about what motivates people at work. Numerous surveys indicate salary is not the most important thing from an employee’s point of view. More important are:
- Full appreciation of a job well done
- Feeling ‘in’ on things (in other words being communicated with and listened to)
- Interesting work
- Job security
- Wages at a proper level
- Sympathetic help on personal problems
- Promotion and growth
- Personal loyalty to the worker
- Good working conditions
- Tactful discipline
Keeping them informed
Many of these points, for example, communication, are especially important for part-time workers. They may not be there to attend meetings, or hear the latest news, but that shouldn’t prevent them from being informed.
Good, open communication is critical for a well-run business. If necessary find other ways to communicate with staff who are not at work all the time.
Doing interesting work is another bugbear of part-timers. Rather than being left with the duller aspects of the job, part-timers should feel just as empowered as full-timers to take on more responsibilities. Personal development should be a high priority.
Don’t overlook the valuable work your staff are doing for your business. They deserve your thanks as well as your inspired leadership.
