Every business wants to build up a community of raving fans, but the best way to that starts from inside the company. It all boils down to how happy your team members are. If your employees love your business, that will translate to your customers and help to boost sales.
Let’s go over the 5 key values that can help turn your team members into raving fans.
1. Having a True Purpose
Inspired employees are unstoppable. If your team members believe in your company’s mission, they will devote all their efforts to making it a success.
When an employee understands his or her purpose in the grand scheme of things, this improves their resiliency. Being able to maintain focus under high-pressure situations is a skill that resilient employees have in spades.
This also plays into each team member’s job description. While there are many routine tasks that have to be completed in order to move forward, each employee should have an understanding of how their role plays a significant part in reaching the ultimate goals of the company. This helps them to feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves, and it also puts value on the efforts they give.
One great way to give your team members a true purpose is by encouraging activism. Positioning your company as an advocate for a cause will inspire your employees and allow for more team-building opportunities.
2. Being Valued
In return for all their hard work, employees want to feel valued. It is common knowledge that people quit managers, not jobs. So, you want to ensure that each team member is being treated well and is appreciated.
It costs nothing but a moment of your time to show your appreciation to your staff. It can be as simple as saying thank you. You could also invest back into your employees by covering the costs of attending a workshop or convention. This shows your team that you value them and are willing to invest in their future with your company.
3. Receiving Recognition
No one likes putting in all the effort to complete a task just to have the credit given to someone else. Salary has very little to do with employee happiness. Even if the pay is good, this can get old fast. If you are looking to promote loyalty from within your brand, you should make sure that you always give credit where it’s due.
This means that you shouldn’t be stealing the spotlight from your employees or claiming certain ideas were yours when they weren’t. Receiving proper recognition will go a long way in making your employees happier. At the end of the day, you can share the spotlight with an employee who deserves the credit. You won’t lose anything from it either. You’ll actually gain a loyal team member who will happily share more of their great ideas with you.
4. Respect and Leadership
Employees like to know that there is room to grow at the company they work for. After all, they are giving a good chunk of their lives to someone else’s dream. In exchange for this, team members should be given respect and the opportunity to step into leadership positions if they so choose.
No one wants to be talked down to or have their ideas shot down. Even if you don’t like their ideas, there are ways to communicate without making them feel bad. If you handle the situation with professional kindness, they will be more likely to share other ideas with you down the road.
Mistakes happen all the time. If one of your employees slips up, don’t berate them. You can speak with them about the matter privately and come to a solution to remedy the issue at hand. You should also never speak poorly of any employees in front of other employees. Word travels fast inside the office, and the last thing you want is for anyone to feel alienated.
As for leadership opportunities, some people are cut out for it and others aren’t. After a certain amount of time, you should be able to determine who among your team is best suited for leadership positions. This can come in many forms from a management position or a project leader position.
5. Changing the World
Playing back into having a purpose, many people in this day and age want to change the world. No one wants to work for a greedy corporation that has a bad public image.
One of your goals as a company should be to better the world in some way. It doesn’t even have to be a big way. Dedicating a few hours each month to go as a team unit and clean up a beach or park can help. Donating to charities that are close to you or your employees is another way to change the world a little bit at a time.
Other Ways to Turn Your Employees Into Raving Fans
Bonus #1: Provide a Safe Work Environment
The people you work with become like a second family. Spending so much time together, it’s important that everyone gets along well and feels safe inside the workspace.
No one likes the idea of sitting in a grey, windowless room for 8 hours every day. It’s soul-draining and can make the employee feel void of purées very quickly. To combat boredom and keep your team motivated, the work environment should reflect the type of attitudes you want them to have.
Your employees should be content with their workspace and the people they are working with. If you choose your team members wisely and maintain a safe, inspiring environment for them to work in, you will have a dedicated group of workers.
Bonus #2: Provide Learning Opportunities
It is innately human to want to learn. If you provide your employees with opportunities to expand their knowledge and skill sets, most of them will not disappoint you.
By investing in additional training, workshops, and conventions for your team members, you will show them just how much you value their presence at your company.
Bonus #3: Provide Perks
Offering perks is something that many folks will hang around for. That isn’t just healthcare. Employee benefits can go a long way in creating raving fans: for example, keeping a stocked break room with free food is just one thing you can do to keep your employees happy.
Some businesses offer a gym membership or have an onsite gym that employees can go to. Others offer Spotify Premium or some other music-streaming service for free. If your company sells products, giving your employees a steep discount and even occasional freebies is greatly appreciated.
Sick days, personal days, and paid vacation time is another bonus that really seems to make employees happy. Everyone needs time to relax, recharge, and recover.
Wrapping Up What Your Team Really Wants
Now that you have a better understanding of what your employees want from their employer, you can begin implementing some of these values into your company and watch how quickly your employees start spreading the word.