Treating employees well

[Cornish Steve]

The Financial Times just came out with a new report claiming that companies that treat employees well perform much better than other companies. As I understand it, the FT found that companies that are voted by employees as a great place to work yield a return on investment 3X greater than the average market return.

This agrees with several books on business I have read recently that claim that company leaders should focus on treating employees well, even above treating customers well. The theory is that happy employees will in turn treat customers well.

From my working career, I would say that this theory rings true. Employees who are unhappy tend to be slaphappy and don't care so much about following up with customers.

What do others think about this?

[Jayne]

We have always tried to treat our employee's well and most work better if you are nice to them. You do get the odd rotten egg, who just likes to cause trouble, they seem to enjoy it. They don't usually work for us long :lol:

Being nice has to work both ways.

Jayne

[Coding Monkey]

Absolutely agree. I'm starting to give bonus' each month as of January. I'm selling a professional service at an expensive rate, where the people hired to do the work present the professional image of Coding Monkeys (for the quality of our work) and the clients company, based on the design that we produce. If they're not offering the best service, it doesn't benefit me, it doesn't benefit the customer and ultimately doesn't benefit them.

[bizguy]

I do agree that fostering a good environment for employees has a tremendous benefit for employers and business owners.

From a purely psychological point of view, a good working environment where an employee is nurtured and his worth is noticed and rewarded goes a long way in promoting a long-term improvement in the quality of work – and ultimately, in the success of the business. Having been an employee myself, I can definitely relate. A good working environment creates a sense of ownership in an employee, he feels that he is an essential part of the organisation, and thus, would work more diligently because of it.

But it is a two-way street, so don’t bend over backwards for employees. There should also be set limits.

[Hayles]

I find it can be very difficult to keep a business-like relationship with employees if you're too nice! Most of the people who work for us would, I think, consider us as their friends now and that can be awkward.

We may be moving and expanding the catering business in a couple of months and if so, we'll be taking on more staff. I'm going to read up on the subject of management - any recommendations?

[Coding Monkey]

I have the same type of relationship with the designers, but it works very well, as they know the strict guidelines I have. I give fair time limits, pay well and am beginning to give bonuses starting Monday. In return, I ask for prompt, stunning, highly professional work. If I don't like it, the client doesn't get to see it and they don't get paid, so they know to send across fantastic work first time instead of doing a bodge job.

Never had a problem.

[Jayne]

I find it can be very difficult to keep a business-like relationship with employees if you're too nice! Most of the people who work for us would, I think, consider us as their friends now and that can be awkward.

We may be moving and expanding the catering business in a couple of months and if so, we'll be taking on more staff. I'm going to read up on the subject of management - any recommendations?

We have had this problem in the past Hayles, we now try to keep a little gap between us and the staff. You have to remind them that you are the boss (in a nice way of cause) now and again or they will make your life a misery. If you get too friendly, they will think they can get away with anything. You must put your boss head on sometimes, eg. tell them off if they come in late, that sort of thing, just to remind them :D

If that doesn't work, beat them with a big stick :lol: (only kidding)

Jayne

[Mortime Business Software]

Hi Tom. I don't want to sound nosey, but do you use designers exclusively online, or do you have some of them in-house?

I reckon a major problem for me will be finding programmers who will produce safe/secure/efficient code, on time. I was thinking that I could pay them on delivery, but I've heard that tele-commuting can be very problematic. I'm the type who can get very upset if I don't adhere to deadlines, and I expect people who will work for me to be the same.

I realise that any business cannot run smoothly all the time, but I wouldn't like to get to the stage where I have to ask Jayne if I can borrow her stick!

Dave

[Coding Monkey]

Howdy, Dave. As a new company, there's no way I could hire 2 designers, but my service is all about high quality and diversity, so they're freelance and therefore paid per project (I've even paid them more than what we've discussed at times because you don't care about your work if you get not enough in return). They deliver very, very well - always on time, always with high-quality, always reaching the goal. I'd also add that one is a friend, and the other is a friend of his. Not my reasons for using them, as they've both worked for highly respectable design companies for 6 years each, but the recommendation side removes that worry of trust. If I wanted another designer, I'd ask either of them and wouldn't look anywhere else.

It all depends how you act as the boss. I give choices, discuss and offer. I ask them to tell me I'm wrong, fight their corner (and mine, if I agree) if the client can't quite understand what we're trying to achieve and have them involved in the company. Give and take. I want to offer the best to my clients, and I need the best from the people I work with. The greater I can offer the designers, the more everyone benefits: clients, for the work, the designers, for their pay, and myself as a company, for the referrals and feedback.

[Jayne]

Hi Tom. I don't want to sound nosey, but do you use designers exclusively online, or do you have some of them in-house?

I reckon a major problem for me will be finding programmers who will produce safe/secure/efficient code, on time. I was thinking that I could pay them on delivery, but I've heard that tele-commuting can be very problematic. I'm the type who can get very upset if I don't adhere to deadlines, and I expect people who will work for me to be the same.

I realise that any business cannot run smoothly all the time, but I wouldn't like to get to the stage where I have to ask Jayne if I can borrow her stick!

Dave


You cannot have my stick, I need it, find your own :lol:

[Mortime Business Software]

Okay thanks for your time Tom. I'm sure I'll find some good people to help me out.

Like you, I'm not a greedy person. I want to be in it more for the security and the love of the job than anything else.

If I can eventually pull myself up to the same remuneration as I'de get in a job, that'll be fine.

Dave

[Richard Conyard]

Interesting article and thread. I have to say we're in much the same boat as many people here, our employees are the single most valuable asset we have in our company, getting the right ones and getting them to be happy and perform well is essential.

I guess the trick is how to make them happy? A number of posts on here talk about money, but as a small company there are always going to be others that will pay that bit more. So what we tend to do here is more about environment. There are flexible hours, families of the team (not staff), are brought into the equation as well. I've had to ask that earphones replace speakers since some of them obviously have no taste, but the general atmosphere of the place is far from stuffy.

We've also adopted new working practices. There is no micro-management, people are brought into the decision making process rather than being told what to do. Whilst we don't go as far as to give carte blanche to all the ideas there is time that is set aside for personal projects that benefit the company, and support given on these where required. And hopefully within a week or two the offices will have gone through their refit, the dust will have settled and the lunchtime poker and pool leagues will be back in force.

Apart from the offices none of this has cost a penny. I think the proof of the pudding is when headhunter calls come in (we're open plan so hearing them is no problem), and people tell them to get lost, because although they can earn more, they can't enjoy it as much.

[Mortime Business Software]

Thanks very much for that Richard. I can see exactly what you mean.

Reminds of the time when I left a job for another which paid 1.5 times what I was earning. After a couple of weeks I hated it because of the regime under which the company was running. I tried to get my old job back, but my position had already been filled. So I emigrated to Australia and started my own signwriting/making business!!

I must say (yet again) that after only a couple of weeks in this conference my confidence has been boosted immeasurably.

Dave

[Cornish Steve]

I find it can be very difficult to keep a business-like relationship with employees if you're too nice! Most of the people who work for us would, I think, consider us as their friends now and that can be awkward.

We may be moving and expanding the catering business in a couple of months and if so, we'll be taking on more staff. I'm going to read up on the subject of management - any recommendations?
Many books, but a nice, short one for the new year is 'Raving Fans', by Ken Blanchard.

[Hayles]

Thanks Steve. I'll check it out on Amazon now. :D

[Asteeleleith]

i have given this a lot of thought.
Remebering the companies i worked for in the past. The shitty managers and the good ones.
I have come to the conclusion also that it is not the customer thatis the most important part of any business. Though they come close. It is the employee.

Employees are the mechanics behind any orgaznisation. This is why it is essential i think to not only recruit the right ppl for the right jobs, but to develop them while they are in them.
Treating them with respect and being firm but fair is most important of all.
Abuse your staff they will abuse you, and worse the customer. A happy employee is

Reliable
punctual
Hard working
Productive
Friendly,
And above all healthy i think.
All the qualities you want.

As it is also impossible sometimes to keep personal family likfe separate from work, and that one does indeed effect the other. Then it is wrong not to take an interest in what your ppl do outside of work.

I also think that socailising is an important part of gelling and bonding within a working environment. While it is important to remeber that ur staff have a life outside of work, i think it is also important tro get to know that person outside of work.
After you u might think them a total ass at work, but underastand y and see them as the person outside work.

This i think is important. And if ever i have the honour of running a major corporation then these practices i look forward to trying. I look forward to being a boss as much as i look forward to one day being a father :-)

Al
ps, the fine balance though is seeing that u are the manger, not a friend. this barrier i think needs to be maintained. earning respect is the name of the game. but u do not come to work to make friends.