Managing a company and the employees is no easy task. Current uncertain and difficult economic situation represents a true, special challenge. Many companies are faced with the fact that they need to perform with significantly lower number of employees and at the same time achieve higher productivity and better business results. How to keep the employees motivated for their best working engagement – despite the fact that they cannot be financially rewarded for their best efforts? How to be prepared for the future economic recovery? And, will your best employees stay in the company until the business situation improves?
Here we define three major areas, where the managers make the most of their mistakes, namely: employees, productivity and professionalism.
Employees
Most of the employees are today satisfied with a fact that they have a job and a salary. But there is always a possibility for the best employees to get a better offer and leave the company. Thus it is important to realise this fact and strive for the possibilities of an employee’s long-term commitment to the company. Internal communication is very important for the organization. This is the only way to avoid speculation, wrong information and rumours, which can harm the organization. An open dialog and appropriate internal information system will prevent from harmful information. The managers should keep in mind to congratulate an employee on a work he/she has done in time. If the congratulation is expressed in time, it will motivate the employee and have a positive effect. Not to forget, it is important to give incentives also during the employees’ engagement. It will work as a constant motivation and enhance the productivity. The manager is the one who should support its employees and stand up for them, especially when they become a target of an injustice.
Productivity
The managers often spend too much time and resources for an equally spread development of all their employees, instead of selecting and targeting the most promising employees. However, it is important to develop the knowledge and skills of all the employees, but it is necessary to realise, which are the ones who significantly contribute to the success of the company. Despite a though economic situation and all the cost cut downs, the company has to consider the importance of the education and assure a fund for it, because both in a short- term and long- term it turns out to be a wise investment. A question of overtime in relation with productivity is often a question. In terms of contribution to the company’s productivity and strategic goal achievement, in most of the cases the employee’s overtime is not in proportion with his contribution to a success of the company.
Today’s economic situation that lead to a reduction in number of employees and the budgets often result in employees overwork. This is why it is crucial that the manager sets the priorities and spread the workload accordingly. Do not forget, there is always a possibility to hire an additional workforce for the peak periods in order to balance the workload.
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Professionalism
The overwork of the employees will soon reflect in different failures and consequently also lower quality. The practice shows, that it is not very likely to recover from such situation. Even though the normal workload is maintained, the level of a quality is never the same. Most of the companies are forced to significant cost cutting. Despite this fact the management has to consider the cost cut downs related to the customer services and keep the quality level of the services. The customers are the ones that will notice it immediately, and react. Especially in a crisis it is important to care about the customers and keep a good relationship. The employees that work directly with customer should therefore be motivated in order to keep this good relationship with the customers. Furthermore it is important to encourage the employees to make their own decisions in order to develop and achieve their personal goals. Managers should support them in an efficient problem–solving, congratulate accordingly for a good performance or suggest the improvements.
Satisfied and motivated employees are precondition for higher productivity and company’s long-term success. The managers’ task is to assure appropriate working condition from all the business aspects.