As a leader, you should always look for ways to improve employee performance. According to Betterworks, organisations that continually use performance processes are 39% better at getting top talent and 44% better at retaining their people.
While those are some impressive stats, having an actionable strategy to improve employee performance can take time and effort. Yet, improving performance leads to higher productivity levels, increased profits, and happy employees. This helps create a positive workplace culture that can reduce poor performance challenges.
Here are 8 actionable strategies you can implement at your organisation to increase your employee performance.
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Define expectations and goals
The first step in improving employee performance is to define what is expected of them. That means creating realistic goals for employees. When employees know their goals and what is considered “acceptable” performance, it’s easier to develop actionable strategies to achieve them.
With this clarity, it can be easier for employees to understand your expectations as a leader. This also provides the chance to hinder poor performance issues because the employee’s goals will be clearly defined.
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Set regular catch-up meetings
Regular catch-ups are a great way to check in with your people and see the progress toward their goals. These meetings also allow employees to ask questions or voice any concerns they may have. Catch-ups are also perfect for discussing overall team performance and how each employee can contribute to the team’s success.
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Give feedback regularly (Positive and constructive!)
Giving feedback regularly is essential for helping employees improve their performance. Feedback should be given when an employee does something well and when there is room for improvement. Avoid giving criticism that is vague or overly general; instead, be specific about what the employee did well or could do better next time.
Knowing what energises and drains your people can support you as the leader when giving specific feedback. By doing a Strengthscope report (our strengths assessment), you and your employee will have the opportunity to discover what they look like at their best.
For example: if your employee has creativity as a strength, you will be able to praise them for it when you can see them using it in a task or a project. Similarly, if your employee is drained by tasks that require a lot of detail orientation, you can recognise this risk in performance and support them in using their other strengths to achieve the task. This could be a strength in self-confidence which drives the employee to complete the task at hand.
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Offer incentives
Offering incentives is a great way to motivate employees and encourage them to achieve their goals. Incentives can be financial or non-financial, but they should be directly related to the goals you have set for your employees.
For example, you may offer a bonus for employees who meet their sales targets or reach certain productivity levels.
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Challenge your employees
Employees challenged at work are more likely to be engaged and motivated than those not questioned. When setting goals for your employees, ensure they are ambitious but achievable. This will help ensure that your employees are stretched without being overwhelmed.
Challenging work will give your employees a sense of purpose. When you’re working on something that matters, it makes you feel like you’re doing something meaningful. These feelings can provide enough motivation to improve an employee’s performance.
When your employees are challenged, it also helps build their confidence and self-esteem. When employees know that you believe in their abilities and trust them, they tend to do well.
Challenging work also keeps boredom at bay. This is precisely what is needed to improve employee performance. If the same thing happens daily, it can be tedious – especially if there’s no reason behind what’s happening. If a challenge comes along, things become more attractive. This is because there is no set path for how things should turn out and no expectation of what might happen next.
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Help your employees develop new skills
Developing new skills helps employees feel more confident and competent in their roles. It also allows them to contribute more value to your business. You can help your employees develop new skills by offering training courses or mentorship opportunities.
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Promote from within
Promoting from within shows your employees that there are opportunities for growth within your organisation. It motivates them to work hard and achieve their goals to be considered for future promotions.
Promoting from within also helps build employee loyalty, which improves staff performance and productivity. This shows that management values their hard work and dedication over time. This can pay off for years as those people continue to contribute to the future growth of your organisation.
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Encourage open communication
Open communication between managers and employees is essential for a healthy, positive workplace culture. Encouraging open communication shows your employees that you value their input and feedback.
Here’s an action; ask your employees about their career goals and interests. This can help you identify what type of projects would interest them. It also allows you to assign tasks based on their passions and skill set.
When a work project fits an employee’s interests, it will give them greater satisfaction and improve their performance. Open communication also allows you to resolve any issues that may arise quickly and efficiently. This is just one way to build more actionable strategies to improve employee performance.
Get started on your employee performance strategy!
Improving employee performance doesn’t have to be complicated. Sometimes, small changes created by an actionable strategy can make a big impact.
You can start by setting clear expectations, giving regular feedback, and offering incentives. You can then encourage your employees to work harder and become more productive team members.
If you want to implement these strategies, we can help! Contact our dedicated team to start seeing a positive impact on employee performance in your business!
