Whether you’re thinking about hiring your first employee, or you already have a large team, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking your employees will fall into a cohesive dream-team model – like a well-oiled machine.
Reality, however, is far from this. We are not machines. There is human error, there is fatigue, and there are uncertainties to account for.
So how do we reconcile the two? The ambition of having a successful enterprise fuelled with a killer team and the team being pieced together by variable human components?
Step 1: Hire the right people
When you’re thinking of building a dream team, you’re not simply recruiting someone to do the job, you’re looking for someone to fit the missing piece in your company. Finding the right fit goes beyond credentials; it’s about personality, values, and principles.
While the hiring process can appear long and daunting, especially for small business owners who oversee it from start to end, it’s the first step in shaping your ultimate team. Settling on a candidate that appears ‘good enough’ instead of keeping on the hunt for the right one is what differentiates a dream team from a mediocre one.
Step 2: Induct and onboard your staff
Often times, employers get lax after the hiring process. After all, you’ve found your ideal employee, the paperwork’s come through, the new-starter is now at their desk, let the magic happen.
If only it were that easy.
Just like how the interview process should give employers the peace of mind they have hired the right person; the onboarding process should give the employee the peace of mind they joined the right role and company.
The journey you map for your employees from the very start of their employment will impact the work they produce and their investment in your company.
Step 3: Inspire your team with your company’s culture
Company culture is more than a few novelty items littered around the office. It frames the workplace and gives it a personality.
Creating a strong, positive personality for your business doesn’t have to be a big and arduous task. It’s first recognising your company culture by means of its values and regularly reminding employees of your culture through simple yet meaningful gestures.
In the days before Mardi Gras, rainbow coloured cupcakes were shared with the team at Employsure.
“In that moment, I swelled with pride,” said Employsure’s talent acquisition lead Chantelle Cassin. “It was a collective pride, actually, that I shared with my colleagues. We felt united. And we felt an inner joy of being part of a company that shared our inclusive position.”
Step 4: Rewarding to retain staff is crucial to retention rates
Business owners feel the financial burden of ‘rewarding’ staff before it even happens. But often business owners forget not all rewards need to be monetary.
Time and time again, research has shown that employees prefer other entitlements, such as flexible work or the opportunity to cross skill over financial incentives. Even affirmations go a long way – it instils pride in one’s work which encourages the production of more good work.
It takes work to build a dream
A dream doesn’t become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work – Colin Powell.
So keep at it. A dream team will never just materialise but it can be honed with the right practices and commitment.
Australia has one of the most difficult workplace relations systems in the world. Employsure is here to help employers navigate the complexity. Employsure is the largest provider of employment relations and work health and safety services in Australia — servicing more than 24,000 clients nationally. More than 300 advisers and consultants provide independent advice to business owners on their workplace relations and health and safety obligations. Every day Employsure gives business owners the confidence that their workplaces are safe, fair and compliant.
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