I’m often asked about tips for business owners when they are taking on and looking after a team. Keep reading to see what is important

1. Clearly define job roles and responsibilities. This helps employees understand their role within the company and what is expected of them.
2. Communicate expectations for attendance and punctuality. Clear guidelines are great for both the employer and the employee – everyone knows what is expected
3. Establish a system for performance evaluations. Have a monthly catch up with your team. Find out more about them as people whilst looking at their performance and sharing any business updates
4. Offer training and development opportunities. Follows on from number 3! training and development doesn’t mean an external course. It could be shadowing another member of the team, it could be mentoring, it could be attending a free workshop. It doesn’t always mean a £ spend.
5. Foster a positive work culture. Happy employees are usually productive employees.
6. Be fair and consistent in your treatment of employees. Everyone should be treated the same – we are all human!
7. Encourage open communication. Share information about the business and ask for improvements. I have seen so many employee engagement surveys have comments about toilets and canteen areas – ask what is bothering people, ask for ideas and explain why you can’t implement them if you can’t.
8. Manage conflicts effectively. Conflict is a natural part of any workplace but it doesn’t have to be a cause of concern. Identify the root cause of a conflict to resolve it.
9. Offer competitive compensation and benefits. Share the salary on job adverts, whether the actual salary or a salary band, the same with benefits. And the basic legal requirements of pension and holiday aren’t considered to be a benefit to many job hunters, they are an expectation.
10. Recognize and reward top performers. Be clear about what is a top performer. Recognition is a great reward but for others, its a turn off when the same people are always rewarded
11. Provide a safe and healthy work environment.
12. Ensure policies are accessible by all. An employee handbook isn’t always a necessary item, just knowing where to find things is important. I don’t write a handbook for my clients, I make sure that there is an HR information system or a sharepoint where the documents (in pdf form) can be accessed.
13. Establish a system for addressing grievances. People will have grievances. Its how they are dealt with that matters. Follow the policy, be aware of prior decisions in similar cases and above all, keep it confidential.
14. Be transparent with your employees. Share the business plan, the successes and the failures. It’s not about sharing every little detail but allow the team to see where the business is going and what your plans are.
15. Foster teamwork and collaboration.
16. Invest in employee engagement. Employee engagement programs can help improve morale and increase productivity.
17. Stay up-to-date with employment law. It can be a minefield to navigate so work with a local HR consultant to get the right advice for your business.
18. Consider using HR software. I work with a number of software suppliers as a partner. The easiest software is a system that you can use to see employee details, manage pay, manage absence and holidays.. see my Software page for more information
19. Hire a diverse workforce. We are all different. A diverse workforce brings different ideas to your team
20. Stay engaged with your employees. Learn about them, take an interest in their family lives and hobbies.