A loyal employee who is committed to the success of your business is an extremely valuable asset, but how do you win employee loyalty? The key to employee loyalty is relatively simple. If they have a good relationship with their manager, they are far more likely to stay motivated and committed. No wonder the common saying goes that employees don’t leave companies, they leave managers.
If your employees aren’t engaged and loyal they could be costing your business a lot of money whether that be because of lost productivity, negative publicity due to poor customer service or negligence.
We know that motivating and engaging our employees is important but we don’t always hold managers accountable. There are, however, plenty of actions managers can be taking in order to boost employee morale.
1. Engage with your team
Leaders should be seen, and their presence should be felt. If you’re keeping yourself shut in a private office all day and only speak to your team when you want something done, you won’t inspire employee loyalty. Make an effort to get to know a bit more about your employees. Find out about their families and what they are interested in and share some things about yourself.
2. Be honest and open
Keeping your employees informed about what is happening will help them to feel more invested in your business. If some changes are introduced, be the first to let them know rather than letting news pass through the grapevine. You should also open yourself up to ideas and feedback from your employees and really listen to them. Ensure they don’t feel ignored and make improvements or compromises when you can.
3. Be empathetic and caring
Empathetic and caring aren’t the types of words that you may typically associate with strong leadership traits but showing your team that you genuinely care about them is crucial. If they are dealing with issues, either personally or professionally, you should try to understand and help where you can.
4. Be fair
No one likes a boss who has favourites. Make an effort to treat all of your employees fairly and demonstrate that you have integrity and you will earn the respect of your team.
5. Don’t micromanage
Micromanaging can be extremely frustrating for employees and suggests to them that you don’t trust them. You should be a leader who provides the tools and then lets your team get on with their jobs. It’s good to check in, but don’t be overbearing.
6. Reward and recognise achievements
By rewarding and recognising the success of your employees you are showing that you appreciate them and motivating them to continue to work hard. You can reward your team for hitting certain goals, improving or simply doing their best. Let them know what incentives you are offering and the more you can do the better!
7. Invest in training and development
If you are willing to invest in training for your team then they will think that you don’t care about their professional development. Have review meetings with your employees regularly, identify their strengths and weaknesses and recommend training and development opportunities for them accordingly.
Bringing it all together
We know that our employees are an extremely valuable asset. It’s crucial, therefore, to create a positive working environment for them and to provide the tools and support they need to perform well.
If managers can build strong relationships with their team and get to know them individually, they will be able to better motivate and get the best out of them. Your employees should be your biggest brand ambassadors and while you can’t buy loyalty, you can certainly earn it and nurture it.