Here are some quick tips on developing the most important investment in your business.
Hire right. Use strategic interview questions to ensure you are hiring someone who is aligned with the job, the team and the company culture.
Build bench strength. Continually assess and develop individuals instead of waiting for a senior spot to open up. This not only support succession planning, but inspires high potentials and keep them actively engaged.
Give feedback often. Annual performance reviews are not the time to correct poor performance. Do it timely and consistently throughout the year.
Give managers training. When people get promoted because they’re really good at what they do, they often have not had any formal training on how to be a manager and a leader. Giving them the skills they need will make everyone happy, especially their new team.
Train them early. As new employees come on board, get them up to speed quickly on their job, the company and the culture. It will help them be more engaged sooner and stick around longer. If you don’t already have a formal on-boarding program, consider putting one into place.
Celebrate. A great way to inspire high performance is to recognize accomplishments, regardless of the size. Even making fewer mistakes deserves a high five. Celebrate individual, team and company accomplishments.
