Million Signatures

Posts Tagged ‘Employee’

As they say, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. This definitely applies to the required business uniforms of a company or money-making establishment. What the customer witnesses when they first walk through the doors of a retail store, bank, Real Estate office or print shop instantly instills an impression in their minds as to whether they want to patronize the business and/or become a regular customer. Nothing shouts customer service more than clean-cut professional-looking employees. Given this fact, it’s simply vital for business owners and supervisors to mandate superior business uniforms that clearly represent the demeanor and expectations of employee service.

For a corporation that provides sales or advisory services, selecting apparel that screams competent, experienced and efficient is an absolute must. While it may be less expensive for a business owner to simply provide their employees with an idea of the expected attire and leave the purchase up to them, ordering business uniforms from a respected provider is a more ideal endeavor.

Why?

Imagine that you have given your company employees the instruction to purchase tan pants and a green shirt for work. However, one of your employees may show up in teal-green top and brown trousers. It’s important to remember that everyone has their own interpretations of colors and designs, and leaving the business uniform choice up to the employee might result in mismatched clothing that exhibits personal comfort and style rather than professionalism. This is a sure-fire way to have a uniformed appearance on the sales floor or behind the desk fly out the window!

Also, once a certain look for employees is chosen, it is important for the supervisor or manager to keep a strict attitude on business uniform formalities. If one employee gets away with not wearing a tie for two or three days, others will follow their lead and use the excuse, “Well Joe didn’t wear his, why should I have to wear one?” Such conduct can lead to disregarding rules and an overall lackadaisical disposition among employees.

Choosing business uniforms for more relaxed and playful atmospheres such as a children’s play land, toy store or a merrymaking restaurant allows for more colorfully attractive and flashy attire to exhibit a lively atmosphere that will draw in kids or kids at heart. There is no end to the possibilities of these types of business uniforms. While each business uniform should be alike as to distinguish employees from patrons, allow for a little creative room for each employee. Opt for colorful Polos plastered with buttons, charms or logos ironed on the backs, character-themed ties, funny hats, decorated aprons, mismatched socks or funky (but non-slick) shoes. Projecting an exciting restaurant establishment or game room assures that, come Friday night, kids will be tugging their parent’s arms to eat or play at the “fun place”. There is one exception to the professional business uniform rule. If a non-profit organization is established to help the less-fortunate, it is still kosher to require volunteers to wear uniforms. However, if possible, tone down the “business” look of the attire, and adapt more casual business uniforms that don’t intimidate visitors who come for help by making volunteers seem unapproachable.

Looking after a new employee during their first few weeks at work can mean the difference between their success and failure as employees as well as your success and failure as an employer, manager or supervisor.

Proper orientation determines how fast the new employee can be productive and efficient in his or her new job while giving you a good opportunity to make your new employee an efficient part of your team.

Below are 15 suggestions that will help you deal with your new employees during their first few weeks to help make sure that they get started on the right track.

1. Have a induction policy for welcoming and training new employees. Don’t just leave it to whoever is available. Human resources should cover the HR side of the induction with a trainer (if you have one) or a senior manager or supervisor covering the more hands on part of the job. Either way the following is a minimum of what is required.

2. Give your employee a warm welcome. Don’t just point them to the area they work and let them get on with it. Nothing makes a new employee feel comfortable more than a warm welcome.

3. Give them a brief description about your role as a supervisor. Knowing who’s in charge and what you expect from them will make them more comfortable with you as the boss.

4. Give your new employee a welcome tour of the whole department or, if the site isn’t too big, the whole site. Make sure they know how to get to the bathroom, emergency exits, cafeteria, etc.

5. Give them a brief summary about the company, its history as well as its mission and objectives.

6. If possible demonstrate your company’s products and/or services, paying particular attention to the products relating to the area in which the employee will work. This will make them more secure and confident with the work that they are going to be doing.

7. Explain to your new employee how the company works particularly if the company has any unusual working practices or a different structure than the norm. Again, this will help familiarize them with the company.

8. Tell your new employee about the company’s competitors and what is being done to make sure that the company is staying ahead of the competition.

9. Explain in detail your new employee’s responsibilities and describe their job functions. Don’t leave it to the other employees to teach them the basics unless there is a trained member of staff whose job it is.

10. Let your new employee be aware of what you and the company expect from them. This includes proper work ethics, productivity, teamwork, and appearance.

11. Explain the specific conditions and requirements of employment, including hours, pay, pay periods, holiday pay, sickness provisions, pension, medical benefits, lateness etc.

12. Be very clear about the safety rules, policies, procedures and regulations. Explain and show proper use of safety devices.

13.Introduce your new employee to his or her co workers along with a brief description of their jobs and responsibilities.

14. Outline opportunities for promotions and other opportunities.

15. To give them time to acclimatize give them a work buddy, a friendly experienced worker, to show them the job and work with them for the first week of two.

Covering all of these basics will help new employees settle in and they will be more efficient able to be contribute much more quickly compared to employees that are just left to their own devices.

Regular, one-on-one assessments with your staff provide an efficient two-way forum with which to set and review realistic achievement targets, provide feedback on performance, and listen to and consider any problems employees may have. For example, a sales executive may feel that he or she is under performing, when in fact sales targets have been set too high. During the appraisal, these targets could be reviewed and set at more realistic levels. And after the goals have been met and the targets achieved, it is just but fair to recognize your employees effort in doing their best.

1. Why Employee Recognition?

This is where employee recognition takes center stage. Through employee recognition, you give your staff the reason to go on, push a little harder, and achieve their dreams as well. You can do this by giving them better opportunities to prove themselves worthy of the job you gave them. Giving people new or better jobs shows that you recognize their achievements and encourages them to achieve further success. Rewarding exceptional performance also inspires colleagues to improve their contribution in the workplace. All of these boil down to the point that employee recognition is, indeed, a vital element in the company’s success.

2. Planned Employee Recognition

As its name implies, planned recognition is more of a pre-coordinated plan. Because of its frequency, the event may not necessarily be formal. Under this category, the most common employee recognition awards are customer service, attendance, outstanding achievements, employee of the month, productivity, and safety.

3. Immediate Employee Recognition

This method of employee recognition renders acknowledgement at any point in time for exhibition of the principles and ideals being upheld by the company and their role in achieving the targets and goals of the establishment. The company or management may award an employee recognition particularly upon a commendable effort, solidarity, accomplishment of an exclusive project, acquisition of a new company procedure, or simply expressing indebtedness to the employee for making such effort.

4. Formal Employee Recognition

This type of employee recognition is done annually. Because of its formality, the event showcases a very glamorous and prestigious ceremony. This type of employee recognition renders acknowledgement on the total and outstanding performance of an employee. The award itself is so special that every employee aims to achieve it. These are sometimes known as presidents awards, the top 10 percent club, etc. In this type of employee recognition, the most common awards are centered on the employee or the department’s outstanding and remarkable performance. This refers to an exceptional work that an employee was able to accomplish in spite of its level of difficulty. The company should, however, bear in mind that employee recognition does not simply mean that it is the right thing to do since your employee has done such merit.

5. The Reasoning

The main purpose of employee recognition is to build bridges among people, to establish communication, and to acknowledge the value of each employee in establishing the success of the whole organization. Moreover, employee recognition is utmost appreciated if the event is timely and is done at a more public gathering. In this way, the impression is more intense. Consequently, the employee recognition should delve more on the effort of the employee to accomplish tasks and not on the result itself. Research has shown that by giving equal weight to the employee’s intellectual, emotional, and psychological needs through employee recognition, the commitment of the staff is increased and therefore productivity increased.

Employees must also remember that

- Employee recognition should not be expected
- It does not translate to an instant promotion
- It may not result in any additional monetary compensation
- Is best percieved as a gift
- The main purpose of employee recognition is to positively motivate the group