Hiring good employees is one thing, but it is another thing to know how to manage them.
It is easy to talk about employee management as business owners, but getting it right is a different ball game.
In this blog post, we dissect all the nitty-gritty details about employee management.
Therefore, at the end of this blog post, you’ll know how to manage your employees effectively and promote productivity in your business.
So, stay put until the end of this blog post.
How To Manage Employees
Your employees are integral members of your business and are quite important to the success of your organization.
To ensure you are getting value for the money spent on them, you should manage them effectively.
Sometimes, employees underperform not because they are not good enough but because they lack good management.
In this context, we can compare hiring the best employees to buy the most sophisticated automobile.
Granted, this automobile might be renowned for its strength and efficiency.
However, how long you can enjoy the use of this automobile depends largely on maintenance.
You might spend a lot of money acquiring this and hope it serves you for long.
But if you do not put in place appropriate measures to maintain it, you won’t enjoy the vehicle.
And it is only a matter of time before it breaks down completely and your investment went south.
The same is true with getting the best out of employees.
Employee management can be quite challenging for a business owner or manager.
The reason being that these individuals are unique in their talents, strengths, and weaknesses.
Therefore, sometimes it might be hard to hit the right management style to offer everyone satisfaction.
Given how important happy and satisfied employees are to business growth, employee management is something you should be great at.
However, we are committed to helping you learn the right tips, measures, and strategies to achieve effective management.
Before then, though, let us understand what the concept of employee management is all about.
Understanding the Concept of Employee Management?
The concept of employee management refers to how a business owner or employer helps the employees reach their full potential, both individually and professionally.
All the steps and procedures you take, beginning from the recruitment stage to onboarding and beyond, are all about employee management.
Employee management is usually the responsibility of the human resource department, especially in large organizations.
In small organizations, however, sometimes the business owner might also handle and oversee this role.
Whoever is tasked with this responsibility, the goal remains the same; the management of your organization taking care of employees the right way.
Effective employee management helps underperforming employees to boost their performance levels.
It also ensures that your top employees with the best talents do not suffer a drop in their performance and efficiency.
Additionally, the employee management system is put in place to monitor employees and ensure that they perform their tasks and duties.
Aside from performance, it also covers areas like employee engagement and retention.
How you interact with your employees reveals where you are as far as employee management is concerned.
Employee recognition and rewards are also fundamental aspects of effective employee management.
And of course, managing employees still boils down to the policies and rules guiding your workforce and effecting proper discipline when necessary.
A thorough consideration of each of these aspects of employee management will follow in a moment.
Now, let us see why employee management is an important subject for every business owner and why you should care about it.
Why is an Employee Management System so Important?
As a business owner, you might be very busy with many aspects of running your business, and rightly so.
Top on your priority list might be getting new customers, managing existing customers, and making more sales.
All these are necessary if your business would stand a chance to grow and succeed.
With all these tasks and duties on your desk, you might be neglecting something else that is just as important if not more important.
And that is employee management.
To effectively manage employees, you need to have an employee management system.
Just as you have with customers, this system is a structured one, with the right tools and technology to effectively manage your employees.
Effective employee management involves using an employee management system that is essential for every organization, and it offers the following benefits:
It Aids in Hiring the Right Employees for your Organization
As earlier noted, the employee management process starts right from the recruitment stage.
This is where you make the conscious decision on who to hire for different positions and to perform different roles in your company.
When you have a working system for employee management, it is easy to know which type of employees will be a perfect fit for you.
Hence, you increase your chances of getting your recruitment process right and getting the right talent for your organization.
Without an efficient employee management system, this would not be easy to achieve.
It Removes Cost of Employee Turnover
Employee turnover accounts for a large percentage of expenditures that many organizations incur today.
Imagine running a business on a limited budget and still working hard to generate more income for marketing and new customers.
But then you have to deal with employees leaving your company regularly.
This might pose a threat to the survival of your business.
With a proper system for employee management, you are guaranteed to help your employees attain job satisfaction.
When you effectively manage them, employees are happy working with you, and there is little chance of them ever leaving.
That would mean you can save costs in employee replacements and use the funds for more important things.
It Helps in Monitoring Employee’s Performance
While monitoring employees’ performance might be difficult with just observation and manual processes, a system for employee management would help.
With the system, it is easy to track the progress of each of your employees and know how well they are doing with set objectives and goals.
This is because an employee management system offers great insight in terms of metrics and statistics.
And thus, there is no reason to guess whether or not an employee is living up to expectations.
It Helps to Improve Employees’ Performance and Productivity
When monitoring and measurement are easy, needed improvements are also easier to implement.
With your employee management system, you can see areas where your employees are doing well.
You can as well see areas where they fall short and would need to improve.
Therefore, it is easier to put measures in place to address a drop in performance and productivity.
And before long, you can get your team all working at the topmost level of productivity and getting results.
It Improves Relationship Between Employees and the Management (Employer)
There is usually a disconnect between employees and the management in organizations with no structure for employee management.
It almost feels like the routine every day is for employees to resume work, carry out their assigned duties and go home.
The needed communication and interaction that grows employer-employees relations is not there.
On the other hand, with a proper system and structure for managing employees, the reverse is the case.
There is a more open and honest rapport between employees and the management.
It Increases Employees’ Motivation and Engagement
To keep employees engaged in the workplace and motivate them, they need to feel valued.
One way you can make your employees feel valued is by letting them express their views and opinions.
That is one thing employee management does for you.
It allows you to interact and connect with your employees, not just as a group but as individuals.
The more you allow them to make their contributions and see you implement them, the more valuable they feel.
And that, in turn, would boost their morale and also increase their engagement.
It Improves Employees’ Work-Life Quality
Employees that are not properly managed often suffer an imbalance in their work and their personal life.
While in organizations where employee management is a norm, you tend to see a good work-life balance.
They do not neglect their health and personal life in pursuit of their professional career.
In addition, they would not pursue pleasure and leisure activities at the expense of their work.
With proper management, you can effectively manage your employees and promote work-life balance.
It Helps in Employees’ Growth and Skills Development
When you put a system and structure to manage employees effectively, you help them grow and advance their professional careers.
Some aspects of employees management include training and also empowerment.
These measures have proven very effective in assisting employees to become better and also acquire new skills.
How to Manage Employees – Practical Measures to Take
Employees management though difficult, is very achievable and deserves all the efforts and attention you give it.
This is because it can be the tiny difference between success and failure for your business.
Regardless of how daunting this might seem, the good news is that many top businesses are doing exceptionally well in this regard.
And you can also create an effective employee management strategy and structure in your business.
Here are some practical measures you can take to manage your employees and keep them loyal to your organization:
Recruit the Right Candidates for the Job
Employees management actually begins with the recruitment or hiring process.
Throughout your business journey, you will always have many job candidates vying for positions in your establishment.
These are critical times for your organization.
Not all humans are the same, and while some are easier to manage, others might be complicated.
If your employee management program will be a success, a lot depends on the type of employees you recruit.
Therefore, while drawing up your structure for employee management, sit with your HR department and clearly define the type of employees you want to work for you.
It is easier to vet the candidates applying for positions in your organization and choose the best employees beforehand.
Thereby making employee management much easier.
Create an Employee Management System to Manage Employees Effectively
A lot of businesses are familiar with a customer management system, and for obvious reasons.
We all understand just how important customers are to the business.
However, there is also the need to have an employee management system to manage your employees effectively.
This system would involve the use of software and other tools to manage your employees.
These software or tools can be designed to handle many things as far as managing employees is concerned.
Some tools are meant for monitoring employees’ performance.
Employees’ performance is an important aspect of employee management, and such tools will give you insight into this.
With the help of those software and tools, you can collect metrics to see which employees are doing fine and which ones need to get better.
Other tools that can be used are file-sharing tools among employees, communication tools, project management tools e.t.c.
The bottom line is to create a system designed for employee management.
Communicate Openly with Employees
One other way you can manage your employees effectively and keep them happy is by communicating with them.
Now, communication involves more than simply talking to your employees.
Your communication should be heartfelt and open whilst maintaining transparency in your dealings with employees.
Are you making some adjustments to product features or policies within the organization?
Your employees should be the first to know and also have a contribution to make.
You must let your employees have the conviction that their voices and opinions matter.
Also, always keep your doors and ears open to feedback from your employees, whether positive or negative.
When your employees feel that their opinions matter and are heard, it can keep them happy and satisfied.
As a result, managing them will become quite easier.
Encourage and Support Employees’ Growth
Another mistake that some employers make in employee management is not giving employees the opportunities to grow.
Several employees who leave their jobs cite this as a determining factor.
Employees are eager to work for organizations that allow them career development opportunities.
There are various ways you can do this as a manager.
One way is by providing your employees with regular training and courses that help them improve their skills and learn new ones.
Also, you can implement a system within the organization whereby employees are encouraged to keep learning even as they work.
It is a win-win situation for you, as they get better and add more to themselves and help your business grow.
Empower Employees
Employee empowerment programs are also another way in which you can effectively manage your employees.
Research and experience have shown that empowered employees generally attain a high level of job satisfaction.
Also, they are more likely to maintain their loyalty and commitment to your organization because of this.
One way in which you can empower your employees is by giving them added responsibilities and a level of autonomy.
It is also beneficial to delegate some duties to your employees instead of taking them up all by yourself.
You can send them to represent the company at some seminars or workshops.
This will prove to the employees that you trust and value them.
Overall, this goes down as a plus mark for you as far as managing employees is concerned.
Make your Expectations Clear
Managing employees is easier when you and your employees are on the same page.
Sometimes, employees underperform and become unproductive because they are confused about what is expected of them.
In light of that, you as an employer should always make your employees’ expectations crystal clear.
Let them know what you want from them, when you want them to get it done, and how to do it.
That way, the employees can effectively work with you to achieve organizational goals.
Make Employee Recognition a Constant Practice
This is another vital aspect of managing employees.
As employees do their best to carry out their duties and add value, they want to feel appreciated.
You can make it a habit to send your exceptional employees “thank you” notes as an email or tell them face to face.
It is also effective to give them a shout-out in front of their co-workers to recognize their hard work.
Additionally, when their contributions are worth promotions or a pay rise, do not deprive them of this.
That is what good employee management is all about.
Provide Incentives and Reward Employees
Another effective way of managing employees is by giving them well-deserved incentives.
These incentives can come in the form of employee rewards.
You can offer them bonuses, time off work, awards, commissions on sales or profits e.t.c.
Not only do these boost employees morale, but it also contributes to their job satisfaction.
Desist from Derogatory Words with Employees
When your employees do not meet expectations, there’s every tendency to get frustrated and even angry.
At such times, you might be tempted to resort to using derogatory words when addressing your employees.
That is not a good sign of effective employee management.
A good manager needs to be patient with employees and learn to control his emotions.
Speaking in a bad tone and using a bad choice of words on employees can dampen their spirits and create a negative culture in your workplace.
That would also indicate poor management skills on your part.
Do not Hold Back the “Rod of Discipline”
Employee management isn’t just about tapping employees on the back when they are doing well.
It also involves disciplining them when they go out of line or consistently break company rules.
Your employees need to understand that there are consequences for their actions.
You can show them this by effecting discipline when appropriate.
Also, make them understand why you have to discipline them.
Consequently helping you curb inappropriate behavior in your organization and manage the employees effectively.
Bottom Line on How to Manage Employees
Managing employees is actually an exciting prospect for every business owner, regardless of its challenges.
Recruiting the best talents and watching them grow into a better version of themselves is a thing of pride.
On the other hand, dealing with poor employees or watching your best employees leave is not desirable.
What makes the difference is the measures and strategies you put in place to manage your employees.
It’s worth the effort, energy, time, and attention, and we hope you find great success in implementing your employee management system.
