If your company is experiencing a high employee turnover rate, you might need to review and analyze your managerial style, because other than an insufficient salary, another common reason for employees resigning is the way they’re being treated.
As a business owner or human resource manager, it is your duty to support the welfare of your employees. Once they feel that they’re being undervalued, they’d be less motivated to perform well, and they may take the first opportunity to leave your company. If that employee happens to hold a key position, and possesses exceptional skills, losing them would be no different from losing an asset.
In other cases, disputes between managers and staff also occur frequently, wherein the involvement of a lawyer who has experience in employment mediation may be required. While this can resolve issues and prevent further conflict between both parties, having to undergo this process still means that your managerial style is flawed.
What Makes a Good Manager
Good managerial skills go far beyond overseeing your staff’s work and reporting your department’s daily output to the higher-ups. Having excellent people skills is also essential, and that doesn’t mean treating your staff equally, but rather, fairly.
To ensure that you’re being a fair manager, here are the traits you should possess:
- Treating everyone you encounter the way you want to be treated.
- Making your rules apply to you as well.
- Recognizing unfair rules and amending them.
- Being considerate of your staff before assigning work to them.
- Observing honesty.
- Not having favorites.
- Avoiding workplace politics.
Whether or not you admit it, many managers take advantage of their position, showing it in acts like taking longer breaks, leaving work early, etc. Another power-tripping move is assigning less desirable work to a particular staff just because they don’t complain. If you really have to assign such a task to a staff member, be honest about your reasons for doing so. Explain why such a procedure is being carried out, and instead of assigning the work to the uncomplaining staff, rotate it among your team so everyone gets to contribute to it.
Fair Employee Treatment
In addition to the traits and practices above, here are four more rules to treating your employees fairly:
1. Give Rewards
Many employers assume that good pay is enough, but what employees are actually seeking is fair compensation for their hard work. Their rewards don’t necessarily have to be monetary. Instead, it can be an increased responsibility, new resources, continual feedback, collaborative opportunities, managerial support, and opportunities for professional development. Each employee has to be given a different reward so that they’d feel appreciated for getting as much as they’re giving.
2. Provide an Empowering Environment
Employees appreciate an empowering environment, where they are encouraged to give meaningful contributions. Provide resources they can use for their growth, as well as professional development opportunities. When you invest in your employees, they’ll be more inspired to perform better.
3. Ask for Feedback
Feedback from your employees is just as critical as the feedback you give them. Ask them periodically if they’re satisfied with the way they’re being treated. If you receive negative feedback, be sure to follow through with a plan that will amend or eliminate a certain procedure that breeds inequity.
4. Address Mental Health Issues
Poor mental health is another reason for increasing employee turnover rates. Hence, implement programs tackling mental health, and make help available, such as resilience training, mentoring schemes, or counseling. Conflict management training may also be beneficial to reduce stress levels in the workplace.
Once you’ve already improved your workplace environment and culture, don’t stop there; continuously monitor your employees’ welfare, and be quick in spotting signs of maltreatment or inequity. With a team that feels valued and highly appreciated, you can expect loyalty and great results.
