Valuing Your Team Members

Attracting and hiring the best talent available takes a great deal of planning and effort, so it makes sense that you and your organization invest in keeping your great employees.

One of the most important thing your managers can do is to let your staff members know they are valued. People need to feel as if the work they do matters and has impact but even more importantly, each person needs to know that they have value to your organization and to you personally. Valuing employees is vital to employee engagement.

Begin by getting to know your staff members personally. This starts in the hiring process. When interviewing a potential new hire, use that opportunity to learn what is important to them and what motivates them. Then, as you work together, you can build on what you know about them to develop a positive working relation.

Here are some ways to let your staff members know they are valued:

Listen to your employees. Consider doing satisfaction surveys periodically to measure how people are feeling about their work but always let people know survey results or they won’t trust you. If your organization works from an office setting, make sure managers leave their offices occasionally and keep their doors open when possible so that they have a sense of what is being discussed and going on and maintain an approachable environment.

Give feedback as often as possible. When employees know how they are doing they will feel valued. However, remember to only give developmental feedback in private.

Promote from within. Developing the skills and abilities of your employees so they can advance is another way to let them know they are valued. Research tells us that Gen Z, Gen X, and Millennials don’t just want to learn and grow, they require it. There are so many opportunities for your staff members to increase their knowledge and many of these opportunities are free or low cost so make them available when you can.

Encourage them to take on additional responsibilities. This adds to their sense of being valued. When possible, invite a high performing staff member to attend a meeting with you to expose them to senior management. Monitor the performance of your high performers so that they feel valued and that they don’t get bored.

Recognize your employees whenever possible. The best and most cost-effective way to recognize a staff member is to say thank you and mean it. Formal recognition programs can have impact but don’t overlook a personal gesture of appreciation. Handwritten notes may be old school, but they are powerful.

Review your total compensation. One last suggestion to consider is to be sure you are paying your people fairly and that your benefits meet their needs. Remember your goal is to ensure everyone feels valued so that they want to stay with your organization.

Build a culture that lets people know how much you value them and you will see your organization grow and your employees thrive.

If you want more tips on valuing and engaging your employees, pick up a copy of Essentials of Employee Engagement.