The one reason not to treat your team like robots or machines, outside of the unethical nature of doing so, is that people offer so much more when their human qualities are provided for and allowed to prosper. People are creative, ambitious, risk-accepting, and can turn a difficult project into one bursting with enthusiasm and creative lateral problem-solving.
So, while using terms such as “productivity yield per employee” can seem like trying to get the most out of a car engine, the way you achieve it is by investing in them and their potential. A happier, more satisfied, more interested and capable employee is one who will not only do their best work for you, but want to stick around, thus keeping that investment value within your team for the longest possible amount of time.
Those are nice goals, but how do you even begin achieving them? Let’s consider that, below:
Offer Many Placement & Directional Opportunities
A dead end career pathway is one of the more common reasons people leave their job for new pastures, because most professionals want to see some kind of future for themselves in the place they work. So if someone shows an interest in trying out a different area of the business, or taking on new responsibility, let them. Possibly just offering short stints in other roles can open doors and help people see where they fit best.
Over time, that builds a team that knows the business inside and out, not just their own slice of it, and a team comfortable with lateral planning is usually a better one. It also shows that the company sees more in them than just filling a seat, which is the kind of approach makes people feel like part of something instead of stuck in it.
Have A Robust Education Investment System
If you want people to grow, you’ve got to help them water the roots of their potential a little. That means having a plan in place for helping staff learn more and level up in ways that matter to them and the business. You may find that investing in short courses, certifications, or sending someone to a local workshop can help them feel renewed vigor for their role and become more rounded in it.
One good place to start is offering support for people looking to build their qualifications in business, like enrolling in an MBS online. That option especially will be flexible, practical, and shows your team that you back their long-term goals, not just what they can give you this month.
Allow Staff To Mentor & Shadow One Another
There’s a lot of value in pairing people up and letting them learn from each other, because no knowledge transition is helpful when you pass it from the top down alone. Shadowing, casual mentorship, and giving experienced team members the space to pass on what they know can help with this.
It’s also a good way to spot quiet leaders in the group, and gives everyone a chance to feel like they’ve got something to teach and something to learn. Not a bad place to start if you want your business to remain dynamic.
With this advice, we hope you can more easily increase the productivity yield of each employee, without treating them like robots.
