by Charlotte Anderson
Growth is the process of increasing in size. The goal of most small businesses or start ups is to ultimately grow. There are several methods, strategies, and ways to grow, and growth can occur in different areas of your business, at different times and simultaneously. Growth doesn’t always have to mean revenue growth, growth can be moving to a bigger physical space, offering different services, hiring new staff, or increasing your network. Regardless of the area, growth is necessary to build a sustainable business.
For physiotherapists, we think as patients as the cornerstone of our business, but as a business owner, your staff are the cornerstone of your business. To treat patients effectively and efficiently, your staff must be competent, engaged, and committed. They must provide a service, and skill that positively affects their patients. If they are successful in that, if you hire the right staff, dedicated staff, and knowledgeable staff, your bottom line will grow. Here are a five tips to help you engage, hire, and retain good staff.
1. Empower your staff.
As a business owner, you care about your business, you want to see it succeed, you want your business to grow. You want (and need!) your staff to feel the same way, and it can be hard to understand why this may not always be the case. Having your staff care half as much as you do about business growth and sustainability can be difficult- they may not feel the same ownership or commitment to the business, and therefore not exude the same passion or contribute equally to growing the business. It is important as a business owner to create a culture where staff feel empowered, engaged, and a sense of ownership over the company. This can be difficult to do, but has to be part of the business operating mandate in order to be successful. One of the best ways to motivate staff is to give them more responsibility so they can demonstrate and achieve their full potential. According to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management in 2015, 74 percent of staff said that having opportunities to use their skills and abilities was key to feeling connected and committed to their work.
As a business owner, think about ways to reward strong performance by giving those staff extra responsibilities and more autonomy. For example, ask a bilingual employee to broadcast their ability to communicate with patients who speak that language. Or ask another employee to design a system for monitoring and following up on discharged patients. You will find that when people feel challenged by their work, they’ll be more likely to put in the extra effort.
Be on the lookout for specific skills and abilities that aren’t being utilized in your staff today. If you can’t think of a way to expand an employee’s responsibilities, sit down and ask him or her what they’d like to do or what would help them grow professionally.
2. Stop the micro-managing.
Small business owners can be notorious micro-managers; after all, you’ve probably been used to doing everything yourself from the beginning. However, there comes a time when you can’t grow your business based on your efforts and expertise alone. You will reach a ceiling, and the only way to push the ceiling is to have others involved to continue growing. While it’s important to follow up on your staff, micro-management is not the answer. Constantly looking over people’s shoulders not only demotivates your team, it also stunts employee growth, since they’re constantly depending on you for direction. Motivate your staff by giving them the freedom to do things their way, think for themselves, and deliver results. This can be a difficult transition for a business owner, but needed in order for the business to grow.
3. Say “thank you”.
This may seem obvious, but putting a protocol and plan in place to recognize staff will lead to a more cohesive, goal oriented staff. Employee recognition programs have long been a workplace staple. A Globoforce survey found that frequent recognition correlates directly with employee satisfaction: “Staff who are recognized regularly are more satisfied with their work in their company…and more apt to love their jobs.”
There are numerous examples of ways to appreciate staff, and it can be helpful speaking with other business owners to continue to implement new ideas. Consider an employee of the month program, where you spotlight one employee on the blog each month, acknowledge their achievements during an all-hands meeting, and take them out to lunch or dinner. Staff incentive awards, where they work to achieve a known goal, with a known reward, can also be implemented. Keep in mind that a simple “thank you” or “nice job” right in the moment can also go along way to showing your appreciation.
4. Be real.
An American based study showed staff are now working an average of 47 hours per week – almost a full day longer than the “standard” 40-hour work week. As a business owner, you believe in hard work, but must also realize that too much work leads to stress and a lower quality of life. And, more time in the clinic means less time to spend with family and friends, professional development, etc. It is a balance, you need to find hardworking staff, that are willing to put in the time, go above and beyond, and be available. But, you don’t want them to burn out. Instituting a culture that respects employee’s home lives and ensures they can take time off when needed for their family goes a long way. It will build good rapport, and also keep staff motivated, energized, and happy.
5. Invest in Development.
When business owners consider the consequence (to their bottom line!) of giving someone a salary increase, even when they are no more productive than they were the prior year, they can start to understand the need for people to become more productive. When we think about development of staff, at its most fundamental level, owners need to think about having a process that helps everyone become more productive annually. If a company first focuses on this, and then begins to add ‘development’ to prepare people to move to higher positions of responsibility, they more likely will see a quicker return on their investment. This is important for all staff within your organization.
As you can see, there are many ways to help ensure your staff are happy, engaged, and ready to do their best work – and none of these strategies require the budget of a Fortune 500 company. As a business owner, it is critical to be aware of hiring and retaining good staff, otherwise, your growth will be limited.
