How to Engage Employees When You Can’t Afford to Pay Them More
There is a pervasive problem in many businesses. This problem is highlighted when employees are paid at or near minimum wage. Unfortunately, this is almost unavoidable in many industries. Opportunities for leadership are often missed because of a rigid, unrealistic management style. Employees are left feeling empty and used. They are paid to repeat tasks and nothing more, right? Not only is this untrue, but it is a toxic way of thinking about people.
There is a lot that you can do to engage employees in a mutually beneficial way. The most important investment that we can make in people is an emotional one. An employee that feels engaged and heard is worth its weight in gold. How do you make people feel engaged?
There are 3 ways you can build more rewarding relationships with your employees, right now. None of these requires giving them a raise.
Act like a recruiter
Take an opportunity to learn more about your employees and their passions as well as experiences. One of your employees spends her days manning the till. She’s also an avid writer and has self-published 3 books in her spare time. Take notice of that! Maybe she can help out with your content marketing strategy or facebook ad campaign.
Next time you’re looking for some help, don’t immediately start googling for matches. First, look under your own roof. More than likely, one of your own is as qualified to fulfill the position as the freelancer from your internet search.
When you find an internal match, ask them if they’ll work for you on a contract basis. Next, financially reward them for their services. This is a far better deal for you in the short- and long-term. You can create tremendous opportunity in the worst of dead-end jobs. Invest in someone who already knows your business and how to make it better. Show people that you think highly of them, and help them grow. That’s rule number one! It will benefit you. Make entrepreneurs of them, help them be a better version of themselves. This is the key difference between a manager and a leader, and also the best investment you can make.
You don’t need to spend big money on job-specific training when margins are small. Give them work that creates real value for you. It’s the best kind of win-win situation.
Nobody wants to be a cog in a poorly oiled machine. Everyone knows that pushing buttons on a POS terminal isn’t the most riveting work. Be on the lookout for ways you can give more fulfilling work to your employees. You will be helping them, and you will help yourself.
Always request feedback.
Always ask for feedback and take advantage of your employees’ uniqueness and ideas. What is the most important question you can ask your employees?
What do you think?
The implications of this question are huge. It proves to them that they’re not just a line on this month’s list of expenses. It shows them that you see their intellectual value. We need to mentally separate the idea of education, income, and worth. A doctor has no more intrinsic value than someone who never finished high school.
What’s the catch? Benefiting from this requires a special kind of treatment. It requires an employee who’s driven and self-motivated. When interviewing candidates, ask interesting questions about their lives. Lead with questions about their passions instead of their work. It doesn’t matter what people have done, it matters what kind of person they are. Hire employees that you find exciting and who people want to be around. Nothing hurts productivity more than a miserable employee bringing everyone down.
If you want to run a thriving, well-rounded business, you need to think about how you view your staff. Don’t get caught in the management echo chamber, thinking that nobody else is qualified to add value. It’s not true.
Request feedback whenever and wherever you can. Let employees know that not only their work, but their insights are valuable. Be genuine and think rigorously about all suggestions you receive.
Provide better feedback
Bad feedback shuts down communication and makes people stop sharing. This is not what you want. We’re trying to leverage our employees’ diversity of life experience. Employees are not underlings waiting to be commanded. You must treat them as co-workers, and work towards a common goal.
There is one trick that you can use to immediately provide better feedback. Make your appraisal into a discussion, one that’s inclusive. Keep asking questions! Even if you know that something can not work, don’t throw it under the table. Discuss it, help the other person arrive at a conclusion by themselves.
Have you ever found yourself in a conversation with a friend and you both ask “how the heck did we end up here?” Of course you do, it’s one of the biggest joys in speaking with others! Conversations evolve, and so do ideas. If we stop all our conversations when they begin to stray, we miss out on many interesting topics and ideas. Don’t dismiss a specific thought, see where it leads instead. It can also lead to genius solutions. Everyone will be happy that they arrived at that point through collaboration. This is what teamwork is all about, and your most important tool is “why.”
People want to feel included and valued by others. Give some balance to the relationship. Break the traditional employer-employee dynamic. If you help lead people into a better future for themselves, they’ll want to give their best selves to you. Use these techniques to gain respect and get the best out of the people you have. Be a leader.
