The absolute most important thing to any company is people. Without people your business can’t thrive. Both your customers and your employees build your company up. Unfortunately, especially around the holidays, it can be easy for managers and HR professionals to forget this fact and get caught up more in pushing services and products and keeping everyone at the peak of their productivity game. These are certainly important aspects of business, yes, but it’s always good to take a step back at the start of a new year and remember the people who make your business possible.
A great way to realign your focus back to people is by giving back to the community. No matter what kind of business you have, you rely on your community and your community relies on you for the service or product you provide. Make 2016 the year that you encourage everyone in the company to increase their community engagement. When managers and HR professionals encourage employees to get out into the community, your company’s morale will actually improve. A company that is united in its commitment to community gives everyone the power to make a difference. You’ll also be giving your employees the chance to see the real impact that your business makes and this will help reestablish your company’s values for them.
HR professionals and managers should also make reconnecting with their employees a priority in 2016. Chances are you’ve already been making strides to create a workplace that your employees actually enjoy and look forward to coming in to every day but you can take this even further in the new year. Take some time to learn more about your employees, like what motivates them and what is important to them. Consider taking a survey of your office to get honest feedback and encourage employees to speak up about their concerns or ideas for making the workplace even better. Schedule regular individual meetings with you employees, not just at performance review time. This will allow the management team and HR department to learn more about their employees’ needs.
On a similar note, managers and HR professionals should make rewards and incentives an even bigger part of their workplace. Your employees may already find purpose and meaning in their jobs but being recognized for their hard work is the cherry on top. While a raise surely wouldn’t be turned down, consider some other methods of rewarding and recognizing your employees that will boost motivation and happiness. Get creative with your rewards. They can be as big or as small as you like. Hold an official award ceremony or simply send an email thanking an employee for the great work they did on a recent project. Set goals for your company to reach and offer a reward for reaching that goal, like gift cards or a dinner out.
On the surface, business might seem like it’s all about making a profit. However, this simplistic view falls short of the true scope of business. In reality, business is all about people. Focus more on people in 2016 and your business will reach new heights.