So you’ve just got a new job as a manager. Congratulations! Or, maybe you’ve just been given the task of pulling a new team together. What a challenge! Either way, whether your team exists already or it’s your responsibility to create it, what do you do next?
This article looks at some of the key things that team managers need to do if their team is to thrive and succeed. These range from choosing the right people and deciding who does what, to communicating with, developing and motivating people. It also covers some of the most common pitfalls to be avoided. It also will inform you how HostGems can take care of all aspects of Staff Management. Efficient staff management can get a company to deliver to their potential. It will contribute to the success in business and also cement the foundations of the organization for further growth.
It’s better to choose right then to be sorry
Every employee is skilled at a particular field. Why wait for the employee to celebrate 1 year at your organization before understanding his skill level? Choose the right candidate. You know the job requirement and the person required to fill the position. Make use of in-depth screening processes before hiring the candidate. It should be a mix of technical, psychological and social tests that will give you the right candidate for the job.
Know your team
Always remember that good connection with the staff will help with communication and effective delivery of targets. Each team member skill varies and assigning tasks accordingly will make the difference between successful project completion and the dreaded escalation. To make genuine relationships with people at work, always remember to listen more than you talk. By seeking to understand what is important to your coworkers, their personalities and their perspectives, you will form stronger connections with them. People tend to get along with those they can relate with.
Empower your staff
Give the power to your employees to make changes. By doing this you give them the independence to think. The thinking part makes them focus harder on tasks in hand and thereby increases quality of work done. Here are some of the benefits of empowering your staff-
· Reduced operational costs
· Increased productivity
· Improves work quality
· Increased revenue
Rewards & Recognition
There is no one in the world who does not like to be praised for hard work. Don’t take it away from your employees. There should be a drive attached to everything an employee does. Some are self-motivated and will do work without asking questions but, the majority of workforce needs to know the results beforehand.
Have a well-defined R&R plan in-hand so that there is a drive for performance. Employees can be categorized into 3 main sections-
1) Star performers- They aim for the highest output and expect the same level of input for the work done. Yearly bonus system works well with star performers.
2) Core performers- They aim for getting into the star performers category. But, if you put the bar too high, they may get complacent. Set the bar high enough to not seem to be an easy catch and low enough so that they don’t get demotivated.
3) Laggards- These people need the push. They are constantly at the bottom level of the organizational chart and are not able to achieve results either due to lack of skill or due to tough competition from the core team. Give them space to perform and a good reward system for achieving targets. Keep in mind that the reward should not become a demotivating factor for the core performers.
Keep the leaves in check
Constant leaves and non-compliance by one employee can lead to the mirror effect on other employees. Steer clear of this and ensure that all employees maintain strict compliance. This will also be a source for ensuring that discipline is maintained throughout the system and work does not get affected. Having a good software like HostGems will ensure that your resources are never out of your radar.
Discipline need not only be about shift tracking or leave tracking. Use these rules-of-thumb to decide whether you need to take action. If the answer to any is yes, then you need to arrange a time to speak to the employee in private.
· Does the issue affect the quality of the employee’s deliverable to the client (internal or external)?
· Does the issue adversely impact the cohesiveness of the team?
· Does the issue unnecessarily undermine the interests of other individuals in the team?
When you move from being a worker to a manager, you need to develop a new set of skills, and make use of new tools and techniques. These will help you with the key management activities of organizing, motivating, developing and communicating with your team. HostGems does this and much more. HostGems will help your organization track-
· Shift Schedule
· Manage Project
· Help Desk Management
· Staff Rewards
· Staff Leaves
· Staff Guide
· Staff Events
