I’m always telling clients that the essentials to good marketing mean a tightly integrated campaign that has components from all forms of marketing. You can’t do social marketing and forget everything else, nor can a promotional product stand alone. It must all be tied together to work the most efficiently.
The same goes for business goals.
No self respecting business would start the new year without projecting revenue and setting some goals for growth. Often, these financial goals overshadow the human ones. Sure, a lot of companies have hiring or retention goals, but what about employee development or moral? These are often overlooked because they are more difficult to measure.
Let 2016 Be the Year of the Employee
A content and hardworking employee base is a solid investment because these are the very people on which your financial goals hang. You can’t accomplish much without them, no matter how many hours you work. Here are some ideas on how you can make employee recognition a major focus of your year.
Create a feedback program that provides feedback more than once a year. Year-end reviews aren’t motivating and there’s too much time between actions and reactions, making it difficult to learn from management observations. Create a system of quarterly feedback or, better yet, create a culture that embraces real time feedback or feedback after every major project.
Provide employee swag. If they’re proud of your company, give them a way to show it off. From coffee mugs to embroidered jackets, caps to shirts, brand your employees with gifts for achievement and longevity.
Create career pathing or mentoring opportunities. Most people leave because they have difficulties with their manager or there’s no room for advancement. As your company grows look for ways to challenge existing employees. Even if you can’t provide new positions for them, you can continue to offer them professional development opportunities. Once they’ve mastered those, give them a title that reflects their newly acquired skill set.
This year as you’re considering your revenue goals, give a thought to the people who get you there every day and make this the year you dedicate time to employee recognition.
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