Lisa Lee, Human Resources Manager
One of the most difficult tasks for managers/owners can be giving constructive feedback to employees!
Since transitioning to the domain of small business, I have been struck time and time again by how critical leveraging the performance of employees is to the success of every small business, no matter the size or industry.
Many owners tell me that giving constructive feedback to their employees is one of their most difficult tasks and the one that they typically avoid, if they can.
For some owners/managers, just thinking about giving feedback can invoke feelings of angst and stress about the potential misunderstandings.
It doesn’t have to be this way!
If you learn to give constructive feedback effectively, you can avoid the drama and instead have positive conversations with your employee about their performance, and how they can improve it.
Business owners/managers might also consider the notion that all employees actually want feedback on their performance. This is often particularly so for top performers! If you aren’t having regular conversations with your staff you are potentially jeopardising your ability to retain your most valued staff.
Conversely, if you aren’t responding promptly to poor performance or behavioural issues, this also can have an adverse effect on your staff. Having specific conversations, pointing out destructive behaviours or poor performance to your employees may help them realise the impact they’re having on the workplace and encourage them to make changes. Listening can also help you to better understand what is going on and may even flush out deeper issues which need to be resolved.
The final consideration is profitability,of course! You want engaged staff who are performing well so that you can grow and develop your business. It is expensive to manage staff turnover so getting feedback processes correct to start with is vital to your ongoing success. In small business we all get so busy it is easy to keep putting aside difficult conversations and hoping they will go away. That is where you need to have a HR specialist who can assist you!
Call Classic today on 4638 3599 for an initial ‘no cost’conversation starter with Lisa Lee who is the Human Resources Manager at Classic Recruitment & Human Resources.