The Definitive Guide to Employee Management

How to Manage Difficult Employees?

An employee whose performance is unsatisfactory might be inclined to ‘test the waters’ to see how far they can push you before you take action. Rather than allow this bad behaviour to continue, identify it and organise a time to meet with them, in a private area, to outline your concerns, listen to their responses and then agree on a mutual way forward. Document this meeting and provide your employee with a copy for their approval and signature. Both retain a copy of this record. Agree on a review date no later than one (1) month later and, at that time, hold a review meeting. If the behaviour remains unsatisfactory, discuss the matter with them before the review date if necessary, and explain if their behaviour continues, further action may be taken, which might include a warning letter.

Allow your employee to improve their performance and provide them with additional training or other support to help them achieve a satisfactory performance as outlined in their contract of employment.

Document everything!

All being well, your employee, with your expert support, will improve their performance, and you can both go about your daily work life with this bit of hiccup behind you both.

In the event the employee fails to improve, then you might want to consider the provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009, which is the law for Australia’s workplace relations system. This can be a daunting prospect to circumnavigate; fortunately, Fair Work Australia has a free resource to help guide employers.  

We strongly recommend calling the Fair Work Helpline for Employers (provided by Employsure) if you need further advice. Their number is 1300 186 278. You can ask a question online, too; here is the link to their page: 

https://fairworkhelp.com.au/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=14659989522&utm_content=546083756874_&utm_term=fair%20work%20australia&gclid=Cj0KCQiAweaNBhDEARIsAJ5hwbdhLKSq4t1QuXWPgyt9DOToffktwfACpdvjqGm7t_arJJSRQ2YVO20aArq4EALw_wcB

Moving forward, what are the fundamental steps you can take to elevate your employee management aside from the ones mentioned above?

6 Fundamental Aspects of Employee Management

1. Selection. During the hiring process, you must select the best prospects.
2. Measurement. You must determine whether or not an employee is fulfilling goals and delivering excellent results.
3. Monitoring. You must keep track of the measurement.
4. Interplay. You must speak with employees, solicit input, engage with them, and vice versa.
5. Reward. Reward and acknowledge employees that perform well.
6. Discipline. When employees perform poorly, you must discipline them; else, they may get terminated.

Employee management is more than just having people execute their jobs; it's a set of procedures and tactics that may help you measure, monitor, and communicate with your company's personnel. 

How To Manage Employees Effectively?

Every company's backbone is its employee management. Thus, you may be asking how to manage employees effectively.

It is critical to have enough qualified staff for the job. Employees that are adequately managed and trained are equipped and can do their duties and assist consumers. The result includes increased earnings, happier customers, and increased customer loyalty.

There can be adverse effects of poor management on employees in the long run. When employee productivity and motivation are low, turnover is high, and you spend more money hiring new staff.

What a waste it would be if you invested a lot of time and money into hiring and training people only to have them depart and have to start the whole process over with someone else.

Effective employee management also assists employees in thriving in their jobs daily to achieve the company's objectives. This will enable them to achieve their objectives and the company's general targets.

Let's delve into effectively managing staff by offering the top tips that you can put into practice right away.

1. Encourage and Foster Open Communication

Don't be the boss who makes everyone tremble just thinking about him and who they dread seeing every morning. Gain your employees' respect and trust by encouraging open communication.

Create a forum for employees to express themselves so you can hear their ideas, concerns, and complaints. Personally knowing your employees will help you to understand them better. It gives them the impression that you regard them as individuals. When they communicate an issue, be empathic and try to see things from their perspective so you can offer a suitable solution.

• Make an effort to be visible. Allow employees to see you throughout the office and have an open-door policy to approach you if they need to speak with you.
• Transparency. Inform employees of company developments, information, and announcements. It is not a good idea to allow them to hear company news through the grapevine! They will feel more included if you keep them informed.
• Be open to criticism and receptive to receiving comments. There must be a solid framework for employees to voice their concerns. Use their comments to spot any issues that could have a detrimental knock-on effect.

Instead of provoking problems, you should be the one to resolve them as a manager. Respect your employees' privacy and avoid publicly humiliating them.

2. Establish Clear Goals

The point is, you must know how to manage employees by stating what you want for your personnel to deliver. It doesn't matter if it's about specific sales, work quality, company atmosphere, hours spent, or anything else. Make sure you know what you want.

Tell your staff what you want once you know what you want – but be specific about what you want, when you want it, and how you want it done. You must communicate everything. Be as straightforward and particular as possible when managing employees.

Employees who don't understand what you want will become confused, reluctant to do anything for fear of failing, and unproductive since they aren't working to your standards. All of this is because they have no idea what you expect of them.

The most effective personnel management rule you can provide is to be crystal straightforward and not beat around the bush.

3. Assisting Employee Development

It is critical to provide employees with opportunities to advance in their careers. This is precisely how to manage difficult employees - you give them training that develops their skills and personality. Your workforce are more engaged as a result of this, and they will be able to expand their skill set and offer more to your firm. Assist your staff in their development by:

• Provide on-site training (one-on-one or online programs)
• Employees are sent to conferences and seminars.
• Allow employees to make adjustments based on their skills and interests.

4. Establish Trust

Don't put your personnel under a magnifying glass!

• Micromanaging isn't a good idea. You are causing stress to your employees and yourself if you teach them how to do everything. Let them do their work since you're the boss, and they're the employee.
• Avoid giving constant feedback. Yes, feedback is beneficial, but not if you give it to everything the employee does. It's as if you're micromanaging after the fact, which only leads to a loss of confidence.
• Provide physical seclusion. Allow employees to work where your eyes aren't always on them and don't force them to have their desktop and laptop screens where you can see them. Allow them to have physical privacy.
• Participation in social media. Some managers believe that friending or following employees on social media sites is an excellent method to determine if they use it during business hours. This, however, is unsettling because it simply supports the notion that you don't trust your employee and are monitoring their personal lives.

You may help develop trust individually by applying the abovementioned ideas to your management style. This trust only leads to increased involvement and a positive impression of the brand.

5. Recognise and Reward Hard Work

Your staff values genuine and specific acknowledgment from managers, senior management, and coworkers. They gain confidence in their job function due to this acknowledgment, and they become more productive and motivated employees.

All your employees want is to be at ease at work. They take pride in knowing that their efforts at work are recognised and valued throughout the organisation.

6. It's All About Consistency

If you don't have a consistent management style, you won't be effective. As a result, you must reinforce positive actions while discouraging negative ones. Treating everyone fairly will foster unity and a positive corporate culture.

Bottom Line

Here's the thing: being a good manager doesn't mean you can't encourage your employees to work harder and more efficiently. Instead, it's about cultivating a thriving, well-understood corporate culture.

It makes all the difference when you know how to manage employees effectively. Start with good internal communication, clear objectives, helping your staff grow and develop, building individual and team trust in managing employees. It’s also a great idea to acquire help from a customised business solutions provider, such as Flow Media Digital, for a modern touch, setting team goals, sharing employee recognition regularly, and being consistent.

After all, your staff are your most valuable asset, and you must treat them as such. Examine and implement the guideline and strategies for good employee management and see your team grow.