Business | Employee Support
Supporting Employee Growth – How to do it and why you need to
So we’ve spent some time talking about onboarding employees. We’ve also had a dive into the world of offboarding employees. But what about that pesky bit in between? Hopefully there’s a good stretch of time after you bring a new employee into the fold and before you tearfully wave them off as they search for new challenges. How do we make that time as productive, happy and rewarding as possible?
Why is support important in the workplace?
Support in the workplace is important because a supported employee is a happy employee, a dedicated employee, and ultimately a productive employee. Whatever form your support takes and whatever resources you choose to put into it, the rewards will always come.
Beyond following the golden rule that we should treat other people with the respect we expect to be treated with ourselves, offering workers proper support pays for itself many times over with increased productivity and engagement.
How do you support employees in the workplace?
No two people are the same and that means no people will need the exact same support in the workplace. But there are a few things you can do which will help almost anyone who comes to work for you.
Financial support
This is the most basic and obvious form of support available to employees. Money does make the world go round and it’s difficult to avoid the temptation of trying to get a ‘good deal’ on what you pay your employees. However, consistently paying below what’s expected for a role will mean talented workers will look for a better option elsewhere.
Beyond that, you can offer financial support in terms of company pensions, healthcare plans, childcare considerations. All of these things cost money, but the stress they take out of your employees lives equates directly to the energy they can put into their role.
Emotional support
This one can be as simple as listening to a person’s problems or as comprehensive as offering company wide access to therapy. No one exists in a vacuum and if someone’s personal struggles are affecting their productivity, a helping hand or open door can really help.
It’s important to maintain a distinction between the personal and the professional, but that doesn’t mean we can ignore the fact that hardships outside of the office can directly affect life in the office.
Career development
Feeling valued as an employee can often be tied to an employer showing they see the potential in their employees. By supporting an employee’s career development through training, whether that’s in-house or external, or enabling new opportunities and responsibilities within their role, you show your employees you see potential in them.
Creating a positive work environment
This one is more abstract and can come in many different forms. We all have to spend so much of our lives working, it’s hard not to appreciate it when an employer tries to improve those in-office hours.
Providing spaces at work that are purely for relaxation and interaction is a good start. Finding new ways to help teams bond outside of the office is another great approach. Anything you can do to make your work environment a place people want to be will help towards creating a happy, productive business.
How can you create an effective employee support system?
First all, you have to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. Any attempt to make an effective employee support system is one that’s going to take time, effort, and a lot of revision. It will involve many discussions with employees from every level of the business and much evaluation.
That might sound a bit scary, but really it’s going to be one of the most rewarding projects you undertake. It gives you, the employer, a chance to really engage with the people that make your business what it is.
By understanding where and how you can support your employees, you’ll gain a new appreciation for them and vice versa. By listening to, engaging with, and acting upon the advice your people give you, they will feel validated and valued within the business.
In terms of the nuts and bolts of the project, within Atlas Play you can begin by mapping out your employee support systems. You can map processes that collect and collate feedback from employees on how your efforts are working. You can map processes that track career development and spot opportunities for growth.
Beyond that you can integrate all of your HR, training and other software into these processes, allowing for a fully integrated and automated employee support system.
To take the next step in becoming the best employer you can be, give Atlas Play a try today. Click the link below and enjoy a 30 day free trial, starting right now!