Be an employer that people want to work for
We don’t need to tell you that the most effective teams are the ones that work together (rather than as a bunch of disconnected bods simply sitting in close proximity to one another). Your job (as ‘leader of the pack’) is to get the most from your team, but when different personalities, high workloads, and pressures beyond your control are thrown into the mix, achieving that can prove challenging.
With that in mind, we asked our knowledgeable consultants, to share their top tips on getting the best out of your team.
1. Building a range of skills within your team (Jaimee Marlow - Branch Manager Nottingham)
There’s no denying that some teams work in greater unison if their members’ skills compliment one another. Depending on your area, your team might include someone who’s great with numbers, someone with clear communications skills, and someone who can take charge on projects; however, if the same tasks are always given to the same people, it could leave some team members feeling unchallenged, and even resentful if they want to try their hand at something new.
It’s therefore a good idea to try and upskill each member of your team so that they each have a selection of skills at their disposal. Our Education Zone provides thousands of free, online training courses to help expand your employees’ skill sets; so if there’s an area you think they may need a helping hand in, just shout.
- T: 01159484500
- E: nottingham@office-angels.com
- A: 12-13 Cheapside, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG1 2HU
2. Motivating your team (Zahid Hussain - Branch Manager Slough)
Motivating your team is, without a doubt, the best way to increase loyalty, commitment, and productivity amongst your employees. The way that you choose to motivate them will vary depending on your company culture, but at Office Angels Nottingham, we use an iPod docking station to keep everyone upbeat throughout the day.
Each day is different, and it helps us to stay focused and positive. We’ve also introduced a 'Think and thank' box, where each team member enters two comments about their colleagues to show their appreciation of each other — along with a customer service award of the month, as voted for by our temps. Even if these measures aren’t for you, something as simple as a team outing can make all the difference to team morale.
- T: 01753691484
- E: slough@office-angels.com
- A: 15, Key Point, 17-21 High Street, Slough, SL1 1DY
3. Get the most from your sales team (Sara Roustoby - Branch Manager Hull)
If you are in charge of a sales team, you’re dealing with a whole different kettle of fish. Sales people are your bread and butter, so they really need to be kept motivated in a pretty high octane way. Office Angels often runs themed sales days to get people into the spirit — offering incentives for the highest achievers.
The introduction of a bit of healthy competition gets everyone in the mood for a hard day’s selling, and it can be a great deal of fun for everyone involved. It’s also a great way to bring different branches together if your teams are spread over different locations. You can provide email updates throughout the day, and keep a leader board of scores visible.
- T: 01482611030
- E: hull@office-angels.com
- A: 1st Floor, 25 South Street, Kingston Upon Hull, HU1 3QD
4. Setting goals for your your team (Pauline Emma-Roston - Branch Manager Leeds)
We all perform better when we have something to aim for, so setting goals for your team is a really positive way of inspiring them to perform to the very best of their ability. Whether it’s targets around sales or the production of an agreed volume of work, try to make the goals you set challenging but achievable.
Set them too high, and you’re more likely to de-motivate your team; set them too low, and it’ll be a walk in the park. You want to push your team whilst helping them to understand that it’s as much for their benefit as your own. Offering incentives (as mentioned above) can also make the end goal feel far more worthwhile — and a lot much fun.
- T: 01132429966
- E: leeds@office-angels.com
- A: Ground Floor, Civic Court, Calverley Street, Leeds, LS1 3ED
5. The balance between fun and productivity (Emma Brooks - Branch Manager Sheffield)
Fun, like beauty and art, is almost entirely subjective: what appeals to one person may be someone else’s worst nightmare. With that in mind, the first step to achieving the right balance between fun and productivity in your team is finding out what each member’s idea of fun actually is — and what they’re driven by.
Being part of a team is all about sharing a common goal; but that doesn’t mean you can’t appeal to the fun side in everyone’s nature to keep those motivation levels high. Ask people to vote for team incentives, and take a different suggestion each week for a fun team activity. Including you’re employees in any decision making process helps them to feel engaged, empowered, and eager to do well.
- T: 01908678600
- E: sheffield@office-angels.com
- A: 5 St James Row, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 2EU
If you need tailored advice on how to get the very best out of your team, get in touch