If you’ve been feeling some negative vibes from your employees lately, the problem might be you.
This doesn’t mean you have bad intentions or that you’re a bad manager. In fact, most issues between employees and their managers tend to stem from miscommunication. That said, it’s still important to take a step back every once in awhile and re-evaluate your approach to management. After all, relationships at work have a huge influence in the success of the business!
It’s time to do some self-evaluation: do any of these habits sound familiar?
You don’t follow up
A lot can happen over the course of a single shift. Not only are you managing a team and working through a list of tasks for the day, you are likely also dealing with employee concerns. Maybe they need some paperwork for their taxes, or they need to request vacation time.
You might not have time to deal with it right away, but it’s important to follow up with the employee at a later time. “I forgot about it” might work once in awhile, but that excuse can get stale, fast.
You focus more on the business than the people
Your team of employees is the heart and soul of your business. However, it’s easy to get caught up in other aspects of the job – completing paperwork, dealing with shipping and receiving, hiring seasonal employees for the holidays, and the biggest one of all: sales and revenue.
When you only measure success by tasks completed and money made, you’re telling your employees that their work and feelings don’t matter. Make time for them, and remember to acknowledge their efforts and successes, instead of taking it for granted.
You make empty promises
It can be tempting to make promises to your employees, especially when the team is facing challenges. Perhaps you’re understaffed and everyone is complaining about being overworked – it can be tempting to tell them, for example, that you plan to hire someone in 2 weeks to make them feel better.
While things can come up and it’s natural for tasks to get delayed, it’s important to keep an open line of communication with your employees so they don’t feel like they’re being taken advantage of. Always say what you mean to build their trust – it’s one of the most valuable resources you’ll have for your business!
You don’t acknowledge your mistakes
Often, managers feel that admitting their mistakes to their employees will make them seem incapable and “less in charge”.
But often, not owning up to your blunders can backfire. To your team, it looks like you aren’t accountable for your actions. The best thing to do is acknowledge your mistake and focus on rectifying it. Lead by example!
You aren’t relatable
It’s hard to create a relationship with someone who you don’t have anything in common with. It’s even harder to respect a manager who you’re afraid to approach. Be sure to take time to chat with your team members so they can get to know you. This will help them be more forthcoming should they have any issues or questions about the job!
You have double standards
While it’s impossible to treat every employee exactly the same, it’s important to make sure that you’re not enforcing double standards and giving certain people special treatment. Also, if you find yourself breaking rules that you’ve set for your employees, you’re probably giving off a bad impression.
Make sure that your expectations for your team are fair and that everyone can live up to them – including yourself! This will make the work environment feel more inclusive, rather than like a popularity contest.
How do you build trust with your employees? We can help you find the best workers for your business. Connect with us at sales@higherme.com or visit our Applicant Tracking System page!