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Getting the best out of your staff
By Steven Dale
Getting the best out of your staff
Many employers see their staff as mere resources (hence the widely used term 'human resources'). May seem sensible to think of your staff as resources for your business (or organisation if non-profit). After all, we do call it 'human resources' don't we? Well, it's not enough. Not if you want to get the best out of your staff. To get the very best out of your staff their are some 'golden rules' and they are ones that the most successful organisations pay attention to. By success, I mean not just in terms of profits, as we are not just talking about businesses here, but all organisations, including ones run entirely with volunteers. Success in this area has a lot in common with life in general. Success is about more than money, it's about happiness, about a sense of purpose, about feeling appreciated and important, about a balance between work and the rest of life. Think about this stark reality: More than 1 billion people worldwide struggle to survive on less than $1 per day. When you think about that you realise there is more to life than just making money. Surely, it's important too to make a difference in the world. This is something that many organisations are taking on board and in the past few decades we have seen an enormous expansion in the number of companies that take corporate responsibility seriously and make it an integral part of their strategy. Many do this by giving staff time off for charitable work, or through company sponsorship of charitable causes. Some do so through pro bono work (such as in the legal field). It's a recognition not only that the organisation itself needs to give something back but that its staff want to feel they are contributing to a better world. So, Golden Rule Number One is to empower your staff to give something back to the wider community, either locally or internationally (ideally there should be scope for both). Thinking further about the balance between work and the rest of life, Golden Rule Number Two is to introduce flexibility into the work regime. Whether it's allowing flexible working in terms of how staff work their contracted hours or whether its allowing more choice in when staff take leave days. The more flexibility in these things staff have, the more valued they feel, and the more valued your staff feel, the more productive they are. Golden Rule Number Three - Treat everyone as equals. Of course, in terms of salary and authority most organisations don't treat everyone the same. Even so, it's still possible to have equality in the workplace, in terms of treating everyone equally as far as respecting them, listening to their views, involving them in decision-making and in eliminating prejudice, discrimination and abuse (such as bullying) altogether from the workplace. These three rules are perhaps the most important ones that any organisation should follow. There are many others but most will be some variation on these three. Follow these rules and your organisation will be more successful than if you ignore them. You will retain staff for longer, see fewer sick days taken and have higher productivity. It will be easier to recruit new staff and word will spread that you are an organisation that is good to work for and maybe, just maybe, that will increase business coming your way. Here are some examples of international companies taking these three rules on board: Hewlett-Packard
Charitable works include: Company-match employee giving programs, and advocates for education, e-inclusion and communities worldwide. J.C. Penney Corporation, Inc.
Charitable works include: JC Penney Afterschool Fund, National DECA and Junior Achievement, Initiatives for education and disaster relief efforts. JPMorgan Chase
Charitable works include: Promoting economic stability, improving access to quality education and inspiring communities through the celebration of arts and culture. Kraft
Charitable works include: Kraft Cares, fighting hunger, advancing healthy lifestyles and promoting sustainability, disaster relief and civic engagement. If it's good enough for them, and many other organisations, then it must be good enough for the rest.
A keen photographer who has worked as a freelance photographer in the past for "Professional Nurse" journal and other clients. Many years experience of using cameras (both film and digital) in several formats, of developing my own negatives and printing my own images. Works exclusively with digital and computer graphics software. Something of a gadget freak - loves the Gadget Show (UK TV show), BBC's Click and similar programmes. As a child my fav show was 'Tomorrow's World", all about future technology. Run my own IT and Media company, providing IT and media services. The UK distributor of the hField Wi-Fire High Gain Antenna.
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Companies that are good for the world and good for your wallet
| Good for Business
| Managing Staff
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