Employee performance concerns management because it is not a once-and-done thing. Like anything involving people, job performance is an elusive or uncertain commodity among a workforce tied to both external and internal factors like personality, morale, and salary. Unique people are motivated uniquely, but there are tried and true methods of achieving improved effort among your workers.
Dos and Don’ts for Improved Employee Performance
Dos
Communicate:
- Ensure that everyone has all the pertinent information they need to perform their responsibilities.
- Engage employees on a personal level.
- Take time to acknowledge a job well done and express appreciation and unless they have an extreme aversion to public recognition, do it in front of colleagues. Public kudos for effort goes a long way to ensuring employee buy-in and motivation toward good performance.
- If you must give negative feedback – keep it private and do it with grace.
Inspire:
- Provide a reason for employees to believe they are part of something bigger than themselves. If they share the vision of the organization, it inspires greater performance.
- Trust them to participate in meetings and involve them in problem-solving.
- Provide incentives for personal and team accomplishments.
Connect:
Recognize personal things: birthdays, weddings, the birth of a child . . . It is up to company policy how recognition occurs. Some managers send gifts. Some celebrate once for all the birthdays in the month. Whatever you choose, it doesn’t have to be pricey – but it should be memorable.
There is always the other end of the spectrum. While implementing the dos listed above, avoid the following don’ts.
Don’ts
- Set a bad example – quality performance begins at the top
- Send conflicting messages or depend on word-of-mouth to communicate vital information – it’s your job to make sure your employees have the info they need to do their job.
- Micromanage. Yes, guidelines and expectations are important, but trust your employees – don’t be continually checking up on them.
- Break promises. It’s a fast way to destroy employee morale and therefore, performance.
Building up employee performance takes time, but it can be done. Be intentional and committed. Follow through.
Consider using an agency like Lingo Staffing to find qualified candidates to match your open positions and start employees on the right track. When there is a good fit, positivity seems to occur naturally.
About Lingo Staffing
Lingo is a full-service staffing firm dedicated to providing top quality services to its clients and its candidate pool. With extensive knowledge and experience in light industrial, administrative, and professional employment, Lingo encompasses the capabilities and resources necessary to help you get ahead.
Our experience and commitment to client satisfaction makes us the perfect choice to manage all of your staffing needs. Our staff guarantees exceptional customer service with an expedient response time.
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