12 tips for better employee relations

An employee who is unproductive or disruptive can be a problem since his or her behavior can quickly poison an office’s atmosphere. How you handle that person and situation is critical.

Do you have employees who aren’t as productive as you’d like? Would you like your employees to change their behavior? Follow these 12 steps and your employees will respond. Improving employee productivity translates into improved profitability.

1. Hire carefully. To avoid employee problems, make the right hiring choice. The attitude of your staff sends an important message to patients. You are better off with an employee who has a good attitude and wants the job than with a skilled employee with a bad attitude. A good rule of thumb is to hire for attitude and then train for skills.

2. Establish workplace standards. It is best to communicate your expectations and to not assume anything is obvious. Make sure that what you expect in your office is clear to everyone.

Develop and use a practice manual (or employee handbook) that addresses everything from the dress code to telephone manners. This can help to avoid any issues that may surface in the future.

3. Train. Provide opportunities for growth and development. This can help in the employee’s qualifications, as well as keeping them motivated.

4. Model desired behavior. Your behavior sets the tone for the office, so be sure to model the behavior that you want employees to mirror.

5. Reward good performance. Recognize and reward your high-performing employees, best people, and the behaviors that make your business successful. Pay attention to the positives. Use incentive compensation, but don’t give everyone the same bonus.

6. Treat employees consistently. Having an employee handbook is a good idea. Problems often arise because employees feel they are treated differently for benefits such as vacations, overtime, holidays, continuing education, and the like. An employee handbook clearly establishes the policy and helps you to be consistent.

7. Invite employees’ input. Ask them what’s working well and what’s not. Employees know what’s really going on so find ways to get their input. High-performing employees stay because they feel “it’s the best place for me” meaning that they have a good boss and feel recognized and rewarded.

8. Communicate, communicate, communicate. Establish a regular schedule for employee communications. Tension builds when employees are confused or uncertain about what is going on. If they don’t hear from you, they will make it up and rumors will fly. Keeping employees informed and engaged is critical to your success.

9. Deal with problems. Don’t react in anger, but do not delay in addressing a problem. Ignoring the problem only makes it worse. With a positive tone, and sooner rather than later, discuss the issue privately with the person and then (if appropriate) communicate a policy to the entire staff.

10. Develop strong systems. Do not allow employees to hold you hostage. Operate your business so that you are not dependent on any employee.

11. Plan ahead. You never know when something is going to happen. Plan for employee turnover by having documented systems and procedures in place and cross-train your employees.

12. Weed out weak performers. Firing is painful, but sometimes necessary. There’s a higher cost to pay of retaining weak performers because it can drain everyone’s productivity and poison the atmosphere of the office. Everyone can be replaced.

Jean D. Sifleet, Esq., CPA, is a practical and experienced business attorney who believes “an ounce of prevention is worth thousands of dollars in legal cure." She has authored numerous books and publications on avoiding legal pitfalls in doing business. You can contact her at 978-368-6104 or through her Web site, www.smartfast.com.