Human Resources
3 Valuable Things Business Owners Should Be Doing For Their Team Right Now



As a business owner, you might be worried and stressed during this time of crisis, but you should be mindful that you're not alone. Currently, your employees are also concerned about the future of their careers, their families and their futures. Regardless of how of an impact the COVID-19 pandemic has on you, your team needs their leader now more than ever. 


Regardless of whether you've been fortunate enough to avoid having to lay team members off, people are still anxious and uncertain. Unemployment rates have hit an all-time high, both locally and globally, with many South Africans fearing that they will lose their jobs. 


Businesses and workers who have been lucky enough to stay in operation during quarantine efforts still face several unique challenges. Employees who have never worked from home now have to spend every hour indoors. People who loved to flutter their social butterfly wings on the weekends now have to resort to video parties and virtual meet-ups. 


During this time of uncharted territory and an uncertain future, entrepreneurs have to step up and not abandon their teams during this time of crisis.


Ensure that you keep your team safe, supported and productive during this pandemic by becoming their most valuable ally. Let's explore three valuable things you could be doing for your team right now. 


1. Help protect them from financial difficulties. 

Individuals who have constant fear and anxiety about their finances are prone to missing work more frequently than their financially secure peers. Concerns about financial stability also have a definite impact on overall productivity. Strangely enough, people, who need money the most are more likely to request sick leave and commonly fail to deliver their best work. 


Ensure that you give your team members a leg up they need by empowering them to develop some distance from the threat of financial difficulties. Help your employees find access to financial relief. Consider helping them find low-fee providers who make it as easy as possible to manage their retirement to show them that you care about their future. 


Consider utilising other perks such as paid sick leave and competitive salaries, as they can aid in alleviating the stress found within paying bills and security. The newer generations with student loan debts will also appreciate assistance with educational repayments. Ensure that you take care of your employees and in the long-run, they'll return the favour by going beyond the call of duty. 


2. Be proactive with constant checking up.

By having open-door policies in place, employees will be encouraged to approach you. Anyone with a problem usually shies away from asking for help for fear of annoying their superiors. As a business owner, you might believe that making your time available is sufficient; however, this attitude could result in your best employees jumping ship to greener pastures if they feel unheard, yes even during a time of economic downturn.


Instead of opting for a passive approach to your employees' well-being, consider taking it upon yourself to bring up potential problems before they scare off your best workers. Ensure that you conduct regular one-on-one chats with your employees to discuss any topics unrelated to current business projects. Consider what your employees might want to see change, which challenges have stuck with them during the past weeks, and whether they get on with their peers. Of course, you're not required to act on every minor issue, but by providing a sympathetic ear, you'll be able to stop the small problems from growing into significant pain points. 


When you check in with your team, ensure that a visual element is included. Remote workers appreciate videoconferences.


3. Tone down or eliminate unnecessary rules. 

Take the time to trim the fat from your employee prospectus and role descriptions. As businesses grow, often isolated events can prompt founders to implement company wide rules which often diminish productivity and hinder their employees' ability to do their jobs. Consider slashing your guidelines during this pandemic and after, as you'll demonstrate to your employees that you trust their judgement. 


A robust display of trust will prove to your employees that you believe in their honesty and productivity without the need for frivolous guidelines and processes. Your employees have more than enough on their plate now, during work hours and outside, so don't add to their misery by implementing new remote work regulations. Should anyone abuse the freedom, you need to have the hard talk with them and consider finding a replacement. A slack worker will always find ways to cut corners, but dedicated employees don't need excessive rules to perform well. 


Ensure that you continue to monitor performance metrics in this "new normal" and develop expectations based on our current reality. You might discover a spike in productivity in specific areas and drops in others. Allow your employees to work how and when they can, and reevaluate once you crafted a more defined plan. 


Conclusion

Your workers should look to you as both a leader and a shining beacon of how to weather tough times. Ensure that you set an example by investing in their happiness and by fostering a sense of community. Employees who know that their leaders care to tend to internalise this lesson and will treat their peers with similar respect. 

  • Business
  • HR
  • Team
  • team development
WRITTEN BY
Discuss this article

You can select the account to comment from with the dropdown arrow on the left, and you can easily mention businesses using their @businesshandle in order to let them know about this article.