Want Better Employee-Boss Relationships? Communication and Recognition Help

In their relationships with their bosses, most employees keep it strictly professional, new research finds.

A study from the staffing firm Accountemps revealed that 61 percent of workers said they while they work well with their bosses and have mutual respect for one another, they wouldn't consider themselves friends outside of the office.  Just 23 percent of the workers surveyed said they are friends with their managers.

A small group of workers said not only are they not friends, but they barely have any connection with their bosses. The research found that 13 percent described their relationships as distant, with 3 percent saying they have no relationship at all.

"The employee-manager relationship is a two-way street, and both parties play a role in the dynamic," Bill Driscoll, district president for Accountemps,said in a statement. "The best relationships are built on strong communication combined with mutual trust and respect."

Overall, 64 percent of workers in the survey said they are generally happy with their current bosses. Just 8 percent of those surveyed said they are totally dissatisfied with the person they work for. 

Despite the good vibes most workers said they have with their bosses, managers could improve these relationships even more, survey respondents said.

Specifically, 37 percent of employees said they want better communication from their managers, with 31 percent saying they want their supervisors to recognize them more for their efforts. Other areas employees would like to see their bosses work on include helping the workers progress in their careers, listening, standing up for them in difficult situations and promoting work-life balance, the research showed.

The study discovered that most workers recognize how hard it is to be in charge and would rather not deal with that stress and the added responsibilities. Nearly 70 percent of the employees surveyed said they don't aspire their bosses' jobs.

"Managers can sometimes get a bad rap, but in reality, most professionals understand that the job is tough and complex and may not be for everyone," Driscoll said. "The challenge for many bosses today isn't just identifying a successor, but convincing that professional to step up to the challenge." 

Accountemps offered several tips to both bosses and employees for strengthening their relationships:

Communication

• Manager: Set clear expectations for employees and create an environment where they feel comfortable coming to you with questions and concerns. It is important to remember that in order to be a good communicator, you need to be a good listener.
• Employee: Ask your boss for clarification if you don't know what they expect from you, and be open to constructive feedback. Also, take advantage of any professional development opportunities that can boost your communication skills.

Career planning

• Manager: Spend time creating a career-path plan for each of your employees. Go over the plan with them and highlight specific milestones they need to reach in order to stay on their desired track. Let your employees know how you and the company will help them reach those milestones.
• Employees: Don't be afraid to initiate career-path discussions with your boss. Find out where you need to improve in order to reach your goals.

Recognition

• Manager: To keep your employees happy and eager to stay with your organization, you need to show your gratitude for a job well done. Don't just let them know how happy you are with their performance; be sure to announce their accomplishments to the rest of your team, too.
• Employees: Keep your manager apprised of all of the work you're doing and what you have achieved. Also, don't just wait for praise to come your way. Compliment others when you see them doing a good job.

Career planning

• Manager: Spend time creating a career-path plan for each of your employees. Go over the plan with them and highlight specific milestones they need to reach in order to stay on their desired track. Let your employees know how you and the company will help them reach those milestones.
• Employees: Don't be afraid to initiate career-path discussions with your boss. Find out where you need to improve in order to reach your goals.

Recognition

• Manager: To keep your employees happy and eager to stay with your organization, you need to show your gratitude for a job well done. Don't just let them know how happy you are with their performance; be sure to announce their accomplishments to the rest of your team, too.
• Employees: Keep your manager apprised of all of the work you're doing and what you have achieved. Also, don't just wait for praise to come your way. Compliment others when you see them doing a good job.

Work-life balance

• Manager: See what types of flexible scheduling you can offer your employees. In addition, see if there are any on-site perks, such as gyms and free meals, that will help employees achieve the work-life balance they strive for.
• Employees: Don't hesitate to tell your boss when you feel overworked. Many managers will find ways to take a little bit off your plate.

The study was based on surveys of more than 1,000 U.S. workers over the age of 18.

Source: www.businessnewsdaily.com 

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3 Ways You Can Use Data For Better Employee Relationships Right Now

Every company relies on employees to provide the best work ethic possible to ensure the success of the product or service. More tools are popping up in order to harness the employee from the recruitment phase to retention. Although there are plenty of tools that can be utilized, there are also simple things that the employer can do internally to get the best from future and current employees.

Starting my company 12 years ago has allowed me the pleasure and the pain of seeing employees come and go. As many will note, it is far more expensive to obtain new talent than it is to retain, however, in the competitive landscape it is incredibly tricky to make sure great people stick around. As CEO, I have had triumphs in building a strong team and also have made mistakes that I have turned around to create tips that will allow any business owner the chance to build better employee relationships starting today.

1. Examine what keeps your current employees around

Your best recruiting assets are your current employees. In order to recruit talent that will help grow and build your business, it is key to find out what is keeping your current employees around and what has caused former employees to leave. Memory can be hazy and unreliable, which is why it is important to keep a record of "employee inventory." Key factors to consider, include salary, advancement opportunities, job challenge, and snacks (yes, snacks). Create a spreadsheet of every single employee and track at least six data points, but make them consistent for every employee. Identify the current salary range, how many promotions received, and what are their favorite snack items. Let the data be your top selling points in identifying potential employees to join your company.

2. Set core goals for employee review

It is important for both the employee and employer to be on the same page for what is expected of them. It is crucial for both the employee and employer to have data when an individual surpasses (or under performs) expectations. Setting up a standard employee review, however, is not an entirely effective way of measuring this performance. Instead, it is key to pair a base of general company expectations with individualized data metrics. If there is a want or need to include attributes such as attitude and community building, it is important to assign a number to correspond with the behavior. The soft data and the hard data can provide a full scope of how the employee lifts the company both in culture and in growth.

3. Know when your employee is about to leave and stop them

You do not need to stalk your employee's internet history in order to know if they are leaving. Instead, you can know by looking at past employee behavior and by simply asking. Now, this does not mean blatantly asking the question, but rather looking at the responses given by past employees for leaving and generating questions that highlight those issues so you are able to address them and prevent them from leaving. If you identify that most of the past employees left when their projects stayed static for a year, perhaps engage current employees fitting this description with, "Are there any tasks in the project that you would like to own?" Whatever question you might pose, make sure that both the question and the answer are recorded.

It is truly important to look at all interactions, answers, and moments as data points. Soft data is incredibly nuanced and hard to track in a standard service. This human element of data is the key advantage an employer can utilize in ensuring that future and current employees bring forth the most value to the company and that the company can bring the most value to them.

Source: http://www.inc.com/
Image Credit: Getty Images




ABOUT WNFP
Westchester Networking for Professionals (WNFP) is a business networking association dedicated to helping small businesses and entrepreneurs develop, expand and grow. We offer affordable opportunities to help create a positive impact and advancement in your business interests and personal quality of life to take you to the next level.
Stay Connected with WNFP!