Working in the frontline has never been an easy task, let alone with the additional pressures and rules of COVID-19. The service industry is a notoriously face-paced and intense domain, where efficient teamwork seems to be the key to seamless operations. It’s true – a workforce that engages with one another as a team, with a shared desire to get tasks done and make customers happy, is a recipe for success.
In reality, achieving this nirvana is typically extraordinarily difficult. Staff aren’t as motivated as their manager, or you are. If you want to get the most out of your casual teams, you need to think differently. Here are our best tips to maximise your workforce’s efficiency and output during difficult and challenging times.
Set a solid example
Your staff need outstanding leadership to follow and be inspired by. If you’re a leader or manager, it’s more important than anything else to build a strong foundation from which your employees feel comfortable to perform at their best. Although many factors drive great leadership, here are three of the most actionable:
- Encourage open dialogue. Communication is key. Talk to your workers openly and honestly. If you embody this as a leader, your team will feel more comfortable communicating freely between themselves. The last thing you want is unresolved issues between coworkers.
- Communicate values and expectations. In the workplace, you need to enforce standards, both for customer-facing interactions and internally, between staff members. All team members should have a voice.
- Always show respect. You can’t abuse or take advantage of your staff and expect them to treat you or your customers with respect. Be honest and appreciative of the value they deliver to your business, and they will return the favour.
Autonomy is the new micromanagement
Do you know anyone who enjoys being micromanaged? We don’t either. If anything, an overbearing, controlling manager prevents star-potential employees from ever stepping up the plate. Workers need to know what their responsibilities entail while also retaining the freedom they deliver results in a way that works best for them. People want to be trusted, empowered, and respected – micromanaging does little to satisfy this demand. Furthermore, a team cannot function without defined roles and expectations. When each member plays an integral role in the broader team, amazing things happen.
Empower their strengths and value their efforts
Everyone is different! We all have our strengths and weaknesses. While the appeal of an allrounder is hard to ignore, casual workers in the service industry should play to their strengths. Workplace performance is heavily linked to how much an employee feels they are able to use their strengths. Allocate tasks and responsibilities based on what they love to do and what they’re good at. Taking the time now to understand your staff will pay off later. When it does, acknowledge their outstanding work with recognition – it can be as simple as saying ‘thank you.’
Acknowledge their life outside of work
There’s no need to become best friends with every staff member, but acknowledging their human self outside of work goes a long way. By learning more about them as a person, your staff will feel appreciated in more ways than just a paycheque. How employees are paid is also another excellent opportunity to make a difference.
Modern solutions such as Earned Wage Access (EWA) enable employees to access their earned wages whenever they need. At the end of each workday, your employees can access a convenient mobile app to see how their earned wages are accruing in real-time. They may then choose to draw down some of their earned wages at any time, for a small fixed fee, often less than the cost of a cup of coffee, to cover any unexpected expenses they may have.
If you want to empower your team with financial flexibility by enabling real-time access to their earned wages, contact Paytime today to arrange a free consultation.
