Ensuring employees perform at their best is a priority for every organization. Naturally, you want people to remain productive and efficient to facilitate the achievement of company goals and objectives.
Read on to learn more about employee management, how to manage employees, and best management practices.
What is Employee Management?
Employee management refers to the processes used to ensure employees perform at their best. It involves tracking employee achievements and progress, fostering healthy professional relationships, and providing them with the tools they need to succeed. When done correctly, employees are motivated to achieve organizational goals, which can also lead to increased employee productivity, satisfaction, retention, and engagement.
How to Manage Employees
Let's take a look at how to manage employees in the best possible way:
Step 1: Find the Right People for the Job
Employees are the lifeblood of the organization. Therefore, be selective when evaluating potential hires. Beyond professional qualifications, consider the ideal characteristics of your colleagues. Do you want them to be team players? Problem-solvers? Eager learners?
Assess your hiring process and discover how to identify these traits among potential employees. This way, you'll hire the right people who align with your company's culture.
Step 2: Understand Processes and Employee Roles
At a fundamental level, managing a team requires understanding each member's roles and responsibilities. Identify the activities needed to complete the project and assign employees throughout the process. This way, you'll be able to understand the tasks that need to be accomplished and how to adjust your plans if one task fails.
Step 3: Maintain Good Communication
Having open lines of communication is also vital for success. Managers should get to know their team and be approachable. This way, employees can communicate issues and conflicts that might hinder project completion.
Good communication also helps foster a sense of unity and collaboration among team members. Naturally, we work better when we are around team members who boost our mood and morale.
Step 4: Invest in Employee Management Tools and Software
You’ll need to use HR or performance management tools to evaluate employee performance. These tools help identify employee productivity, the time spent on each task, missed deadlines, and help reveal data-backed insights to improve workforce decisions and overall revenue.
Step 5: Recognize High Performers
With a system in place, you can accurately identify high-performing employees and low-performing employees. If an employee performs well, acknowledge their achievements by offering a raise, award, or benefits.
For example, you can reward top sales representatives with financial incentives, exclusive trips, or promotions. This not only motivates them to continue performing well but also inspires other employees to raise the bar.
Best Practices and Tips for Employee Management
Here’s a look at some of the most effective tips for employee management:
Set Clear Goals and Objectives
What do you expect from your employees? What are their roles and responsibilities? Set specific goals and then list the realistic steps employees will take to achieve these goals. From there, set a deadline and ensure the workload is manageable based on the schedule.
Goal-setting is usually a collaborative process between managers and employees. It considers not only the organization’s goals but also the employee’s professional goals.
Interestingly, employees who focus on goals are 3.6 times more likely to stay loyal to their organization. They are also 6.5 times more likely to believe the organization is an ideal workplace.
Create a Positive Work Environment
Create a collaborative environment where employees can express their ideas and opinions. Encourage them to voice their views and discuss their perspectives on the most effective ways to improve the organization. Every idea has its importance, so listen to what everyone has to say, even if it’s an unpopular opinion.
Trust Your Employees
Some managers micromanage to ensure the task is completed. However, 71% of employees report that micromanagement interferes with their job performance, while 85% believe it negatively impacts their morale.
Instead of micromanaging, trust employees to get the job done. Invest in training and resources that will equip them with the knowledge and skills needed to complete their work. Send them to industry-related events and conferences that align with their professional goals.
Provide Constructive Feedback
Constructive feedback helps employees understand what they can do better to achieve professional growth. A study found that 33.4% of full-time employees prefer receiving more feedback from their supervisors, while 40% actively disengage when they receive little to no input. While receiving negative feedback might be uncomfortable, it helps employees identify their areas for self-improvement. Only a few employees can change their behavior or improve their performance when not asked to do so.
For example, if you discuss a missed deadline with an employee, show them data about their past and current performance. Also, ask if the current deadlines are too much or if a change in company policy is making it difficult for them to fulfill their duties. The key is to be fair and try to be understanding to make the process less painful.
Tools and Software for Effective Employee Management
Looking for the right employee management tools for your company? There are many options to help you manage employees, from recruitment and onboarding to continuous training and development. Let’s look at the top tool for employee management:
DocSuite HR
As an employee management system, DocSuite HR makes it easy to hire new employees and oversee teams and projects. The intuitive system has many features for onboarding, recruitment pipelines, employee well-being, and development and learning.
Managers and HR professionals can get a comprehensive overview of their team's daily performance. With this feature, you can centralize planning and coordination with hiring managers and get a high-level overview of employee performance to make data-driven decisions.
DocSuite HR has a simple and intuitive interface that makes managing employee benefits and payroll easy. It includes a built-in workforce directory, unified analytics, automated onboarding processes, and workflow automation. Additionally, it is a full-service system for payroll processing with fully automated employee management and time tracking for small and medium-sized businesses.
DocSuite HR’s Role in Employee Management:
Managing Personal Information:
DocSuite HR allows the company to manage employee information such as names, birthdates, and work history in a centralized and secure manner.
Attendance Management:
The system can record employee attendance and calculate working hours and absences accurately.
Performance Management:
DocSuite HR enables employee management and the evaluation of employee performance, goal tracking, and regular feedback.
Payroll and Rewards Management:
The system helps calculate payroll and rewards based on working hours and performance, issuing monthly or periodic statements.
Training and Development Management:
The system tracks the training employees attend and provides educational resources to develop their skills.
Facilitating Internal Communication:
DocSuite HR can be used for internal messaging and notifications between management and employees.
Compliance with Labor Laws:
The system can help the company comply with local and international labor laws by providing required reports and data.
Data Analysis and Reporting:
The system offers detailed analytics and reports on performance, attendance, and financial matters to help management make strategic decisions and manage employees accurately.
Simplifying Administrative Procedures:
The system can offer streamlined procedures for employees, such as leave requests or submitting complaints.
Enhancing Employee Satisfaction and Loyalty:
By providing a seamless and integrated administrative experience, DocSuite HR can contribute to improving employee satisfaction and loyalty to the company, ensuring smooth employee management.