A seasoned leader knows that their employees are the organization’s biggest asset. Prioritizing them can significantly contribute to the company’s overall success. However, getting to know your employees can be a daunting task, especially for large organizations. Here are simple ways to get yourself acquainted with your employees.
Invite Them Out to Coffee
Get to know your employees on a more personal level by asking them out for a cuppa. If you handle a large company, you can hold social gatherings and go around tables to speak to groups or individuals. Ensure that they will always see you attend these events to show them that you value the moments you can talk with them.
Buy Them Lunch
To establish your leadership presence while making your employees feel valued, buy them lunch. You don’t even have to go out of the office, a sandwich for lunch with an employee can go a long way. You can listen to them speak their minds about the company, which can help you get insightful data about the organization while you’re at it.
Ask Questions
Hold town hall meetings and sessions wherein you and your employees can speak about the company’s values, missions, and goals. You can also ask them questions about home life, their hobbies, or what keeps them busy when not at work. This will give you valuable information on what their primary concerns are and how you can help them.
Play Sports or Games
Set aside time to play video games or compete in sports with your employees. Establish a sports fest that everyone can join in. Offer prizes and rewards to get them motivated to join. This is sure to spark a camaraderie and build stronger connections, too. Plus, you’ll be open to more conversations that aren’t work-related, which can greatly help you to know them.
Work with Them
Spend some time with them while they’re at work. Not only will this be an opportunity to know them personally, but you’ll also be able to see how they do the job. Not many employees have the opportunity to show their leaders what innovations they came up with to make the job easier and better. This is your chance to see them.
Give Them Regular Updates
Your employees will feel valued if they know what’s going on in their company. This is better for employee engagement rather than getting the news from gossip or hearsays. Create an online forum where you can announce company news, updates, milestones, and others. Allow them to share their opinions, ask questions, and raise concerns.
Show You Genuinely Care
All of the above are excellent ways to show that you care for your employees. Doing these will provide you with more information on further establishing your authenticity and concern. If you can’t remember what each individual said to you in that town hall session, it’s recommended to take notes. Once you’re already aware of the basics about your employees, showing you care can be easily implemented.
Why Knowing Your Employees is Important
Building a strong and positive work culture becomes easy when you know who your employees are. When employees know you and everyone around them, this creates an atmosphere of comradeship. They will help lessen fights, conflicts, misunderstandings, and of course, reduce stress in the workplace.
When you know your employees, you get a better understanding of what motivates them, which can help you craft plans to make them more productive. You’ll also know their communication and learning styles to help you customize how you train them and other ways to help them improve work.
