How to Connect With Your Employees The Right Way

Genuinely connecting with those around you is an essential part of a healthy life. When it comes to businesses, it’s no different. Connecting with your team on a level that makes employees feel part of something, welcomed and accepted, will have a big effect on things like loyalty and how likely they are to seek work elsewhere. Now, whilst this isn’t about finding new ways to trap your employees in your figurative office basement; it is about seeing them as more than employees - as people. And why that matters.

In the current market, connecting with your team is crucial. It’s through this practice that you will increase loyalty, productivity, output, and ultimately revenue for you and your business. But where do you start? Why - now, more than ever - is it important to view your employees for what they are: people? Ones with lives, families, hobbies, interests, and goals of their own. Let’s look into How to Connect With Your Employees The Right Way.

“Take care of your employees and they will take care of your business. It’s as simple as that.” - Richard Branson

Why it’s important to connect with your employees

Relationship building is the foundation of any business, organisation, or enterprise. It’s what connects product to customer, and service to client. Especially in the B2B landscape, it’s almost impossible to complete a sale without some form of relationship building. It’s important stuff. It’s what brands are built on and it’s what reputations consist of. Both of which are essential to the success of any company. Relationship building - at least the initial part - is often easy(ish)t, if you’re any good at it. Nurturing and maintaining those relationships to create repeat customers is what can often be tricky. But, without this element, success isn’t very likely.

The exact same formula can be applied for internal success. You should hold your employees to the same value that you hold your customers. Every time.

It’s about showing a genuine interest in the well-being and level of engagement of your team and not treating everyone the same. Yes, equality is important. But, equity and fairness are even more so.

Forbes reports that 89% of HR leaders agree that ongoing peer feedback and check-ins are key for successful outcomes and also that Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work.

The first stat here is particularly illuminating when we consider that the report stresses the importance of ‘values-based recognition’ - essentially that employees are reminded that the work they do has purpose and meaning and that it corresponds with the values and mission of the brand they are working for.

Connectivity and transparency are essential to the success of any business. It is our responsibility as leaders to deeply understand the needs, values, and motivations of those around us and ensure that they align with the work that we set out to do. It is paramount that CEOs and team leaders do their best to connect with their employees, in the right way.

How to connect with your employees the right way

Initially (and we’re talking as early as interview stage) you need to outline the type of people you are looking for that will compliment your existing culture and invest in the work that you do. Then start asking questions that matter when hiring new staff. What motivates you? What interests do you have? What responsibilities and commitments do you have outside of work? Do you need to be flexible? Is there anything we need to do to support you? Ask these questions, in an endearing manner, and listen carefully to the answers. If the people you hire align with you in every other regard and they need a little extra support or flexibility, then give it to them. Your job is to find the best people for your business that can help drive things forward, whilst connecting with them in a way that leaves them feeling understood, heard, and valued.

As you start building your team or recruiting new members, you’ll want to work closely with all of your staff to regularly provide opportunities to give feedback and remind them that what they’re doing holds that meaning and purpose that we mentioned earlier.

Connecting with the people in your business is essential to success.

For more information on connecting with the people in your business, or how to connect with new, exceptional people; get in touch.