Knowing Your Employees - An Overview

Knowing Your Employees - An Overview

Any individual who strives hard to accomplish goals and objectives of a particular organization is called as employee. Employees are hired to perform specific duties as per their specialization, interest areas and previous experiences. Employees earn their salaries in exchange for their hard work, labor, knowledge and expertise. It is rightly said that the success and failure of an organization depends on its employees. Employees are indeed the lifeline of an organization. Management should know its employees well. You need to understand your employees and what they expect from the organization? How can you ignore someone who spends his/her maximum part of the day at workplace? Believe me, there are some organizations where managers don’t even know the names of their subordinates. Organizations of such kind always face problems like employee dissatisfaction, high attrition rate and frequent conflicts among team members and eventually fail to do well in the long run. How would you feel if someone addresses you by a wrong name or simply by “Hey or Mr. or Ms”? It is an absolute insult to an employee who is addressed by a wrong name.

As a manager; you need to know some basic details of your employees. Yes, you need to memorize the names of all individuals who are directly/indirectly reporting to you, their expertise, background, capabilities etc.

Management spends most of its time and energy in knowing the target customers, then why not know your employees as well who are so important for your organization? Employees who feel ignored at the workplace seldom contribute to the success of an organization. Take out some time to sit with your team members to understand their expectations, interest levels, grievances or any other problems they face in their day to day operations and so on. It is important for the managers to connect with their team members. You ought to have the contact numbers of all your team members with you. Wish them on their birthdays and anniversaries to make them feel special. Trust me, knowing your employee not only strengthens your relationship with your team members but also make you a source of inspiration for them. Let your employees know that you care for them. Make them feel valued. Find out what is important to them, understand where they see themselves five years down the line, know in which all areas they can contribute their level best.

Knowing employees not only helps managers extract the best out of staff members but also motivates them to perform exceptionally well every time. As a manager, it is your responsibility to assist them in their day to day operations and help them achieve their goals and targets. You need to know what your employees are up to? A manager must be aware of the key responsibility areas and job responsibilities of all his team members.

Knowing your employee also enables you to have a control on your subordinate. If you yourself don’t know the job responsibilities of your team members, how can you expect them to respect and most importantly trust you. Find out whether they have any problems in the organization or not? Stand by them whenever they need your help. Managers need to acknowledge the hard work of their employees to expect a brilliant performance from them always. Knowing employees gives them a sense of recognition at the workplace. One feels proud to be a part of the organization and eventually delivers his/her level best.

Importance of Knowing Employees

Knowing employees plays a crucial role in motivating employees to deliver their level best. Knowing employees helps managers to understand their needs and expectations from the organization. Managers need to know whether their team members are happy with their jobs or not? Do not make your employees feel ignored or left out. Believe me; they would hardly contribute towards the organization. Unless and until they feel themselves indispensable for the organization, they would never take things seriously. In such cases, individuals attend office just to receive their monthly pay checks and treat work as a mere source of burden. Do you ever think of speaking ill of your family members, friends or relatives? Absolutely NO. Then why always criticize your BOSS? Why don’t we feel like coming to our office whereas we enjoy so much at homes? Have you ever asked yourself?

Managers need to understand that employees need to be appreciated for them to perform consistently. Let them feel special. Problems arise when managers do not acknowledge the hard work of employees. Remember; you are not paid for just sitting in your cabin and passing on instructions to your team members. There are managers who do not even know their team members properly. Sit with your team members on a regular basis to know them, evaluate their work and provide correct feedbacks. As a manager, it is your responsibility to guide your team members and help them achieve their targets within the stipulated time frame. Know which all team members are actually contributing towards the organization and who all are just coming to have fun at work place? Appreciate employees who perform extraordinarily. Reward them suitably. Employees feel happy and proud to be a part of the organization when their performances are noticed.

Knowing employees well leads to a healthy work culture. When employees know each other well, they seldom fight and criticize fellow workers. Conflicts and misunderstandings not only spoil the ambience in the workplace but also increase the stress levels of individuals. Employees feel frustrated and find it extremely difficult to deliver results under such circumstances. Do not stop your employees from talking to individuals representing other departments. What is the problem if people have friends at the workplace? Everyone is mature enough to understand that there are certain things which are confidential and should not be disclosed. Team managers should also discuss an individual’s family, his/her personal life, relatives and so on once in a while but yes, do not interfere too much in their personal lives. Do not ask something which is too personal for an employee. Employees feel happy when managers connect with them on a personal level. They feel like coming to work daily, face challenges with a smile and also constantly strive hard to take their organization to the top. Make your employees feel responsible for the organization. Let them understand that their projects or job responsibilities are just like their own babies and they need to be sincere and take good care of the same.

Managers need to know the names of all their team members and understand where all their team members are lacking and what all initiatives would make them a better professional. Knowing employees well leads to better results and better productivity. When managers understand their employees well and vice a versa, there is hardly any problem and organizations become a better place to work.

Know Your Employees to Improve Work Culture

Employees are indeed true assets of an organization. Managers need to know their employees well to expect them to contribute their level best and also to remain loyal towards the organization. Employees need to feel valued and important at the workplace for them to deliver their level best. Knowing employees well leads to a healthy work culture. Managers connect with their team members and employees tend to know each other better. No individual can work in an organization where people do not talk to each other. Human beings need people around to talk to and express their feelings. We spend the maximum part of our day at workplaces and it is essential for us to have friends here. Work becomes a mere source of burden when individuals are glued to their computers the whole day. Discussions and brainstorming sessions lead to innovative solutions and quick results.

Knowing employees strengthens the relationship between employees and their Bosses. Being rude to employees will not only demotivate them but also make you an unpopular member within the organization. Call them by their names rather than addressing as “Mr/Ms” or “Hey”, greet them with a smile and enquire what is going on in their personal lives once in a while and see the difference yourself. Trust me; you will be elated to see employees striving hard to accomplish assigned targets within the shortest possible time frame.

Conflicts and misunderstandings lead to no solutions. Fights over petty issues not only lead to frustration but also spoil the ambience at the workplace. Do not forget that we are not school going kids who would fight over small things. It is essential to behave as mature professionals. Encourage healthy communication at workplace where employees get an opportunity to interact with each other, discuss ideas and also gain from each other’s expertise. Let them open up. Knowing each other well leads to better understanding among employees and they seldom fight with each other, eventually leading to a healthy and positive work culture. It also leads to peace at the workplace. Knowing employees helps managers to understand how he can motivate his team members and use them to the best of their abilities. It helps you to understand which team member would fit into which particular role and which employee would not do justice to his work? Knowing employees helps you judge your subordinates well and hence there is no question of confusions at the workplace. There is seldom any overlapping of work and everyone knows what he/she is supposed to do? Individuals feel attached towards their organization and love coming to work.

Appreciate employees whenever they perform any extraordinary task. Praise them in front of all. Let him/her feel indispensable for the organization. This way, you are not only motivating the employee who has performed well but also others who have failed this time.

You need to keep a track on your employees’ performances and give them correct feedback for them to perform as per expectations. Team members can also give each other suggestions to yield better results.

Improving Morale by Knowing Your Employees

Knowing your employees well acts as an essential morale booster and plays a crucial role in extracting the best out of team members. Employees feel happy when their managers know them by their names and make them feel important. Employees tend to develop a sense of pride when their work gets noticed and appreciated by their Bosses. Managers should get along with their team members well and communicate with them effectively. Work suffers when employees feel left out at the workplace. Promote team work at workplace so that employees come together, share ideas and know each other better. Managers ought to recognize the hard work of employees. Appreciate them whenever they perform any extraordinary task. This would not only motivate the employees who have performed well but also others who could not live up to the expectations this time. A manager needs to know who all employees have performed well and who all still need to pull up their socks.

Appreciating employees goes a long way in motivating employees and extracting the best out of them. A pat on their back is necessary to let them know that they are indispensable for the organization. Let them feel important. The moment, their work goes unnoticed they loose interest in work and attend office just for the sake of receiving paychecks. Knowing your employees and acknowledging their hard work inculcate a sense of pride and loyalty in individuals and they feel attached towards the organization. Employees must be given their share of the credit. There are organizations, where managers take away the whole credit. Such managers are always criticized and are never really liked by their team members. Small initiatives such as “Employee of the month”, “Star Performer” and so on make employees feel special and motivate them to strive hard to perform even better.

Greet employees with a smile. Never be rude to them. Managers ought to address team members on a common platform so that no one feels ignored. Discuss critical issues in the presence of all to pass on information in its desired form. Individuals should have the liberty to express their views and come up with innovative ideas and solutions. Avoid being partial at the workplace. Each and every employee ought to be treated as one. Do not ignore someone just because he is not well –to- do. The moment you discourage someone to speak and express his/her views, he/she fails to perform.

Wish employees on their birthdays and anniversaries. You need to have contact numbers of all your team members. Do not hesitate to call if the other person is in trouble. You need to enquire about your team members’ health, family, etc. Listen to their problems and try to give them solutions as well. Gone are the days when managers used to maintain a distance from their employees. Now a days it is essential for the supervisors to treat their employees with respect and understand them well. Do not treat your employees as mere slaves. Believe me; such an attitude will lead you nowhere.

What Do Employees Expect From Managers ?

It is essential for managers to know what their employees expect from them and the organization. Let us find out what an employee expects from his managers and superiors: Every individual is hungry for recognition. A manager needs to acknowledge the hard work of employees and appreciate them in front of others. This way, employees feel motivated to deliver better results and also feel attached towards the organization. Every employee expects his/her manager to praise him/her in front of other team members. Give them their due credit. Make them feel important. Put their names on notice boards, and reward them suitably. Money is a strong motivating factor for employees. Every employee expects his/her superiors to be polite with him/her. Never shout on your team members. Being a Boss does not give you the authority to be rude with your subordinates. Lend a sympathetic ear to their problems and help them whenever possible.

Employees expect their managers to act as a strong pillar of support for them. As a manager, you need to stand by your team members under all circumstances. Trust me, employees feel happy if their superiors sit with them and assist them in their work. Motivate them to come up with innovative ideas and improvement solutions. Help them plan their day. Employees expect your guidance and mentoring. You need to be a strong leader who is capable of providing a direction to his team members. Help them meet their targets and accomplish tasks within the shortest possible time frame. Give them honest feedbacks. Suggest those new techniques, strategies which would help them not only in their current job but also in their future assignments.

Employees expect their managers to be their role models. You need to be a strong source of inspiration for them. Your team members would definitely copy your style, thus be very careful of what you wear at workplace. Create a style of your own which is unique.

Do not hesitate to give employees additional responsibilities provided you feel he/she is capable of performing a particular task. Make them accountable for various projects. Give them opportunities which would give them a chance to display their talent and creativity. Problems arise when employees start treating work as a mere source of burden. Employees feel frustrated when they do not have something new to work on.

Employees expect managers to interact with them. No one likes to work in an organization where they need to take permission to speak to their reporting bosses. How would you feel if your boss does not wish you on your Birthday? Yes, employees expect their reporting bosses to wish them at least on their special days. Greet your employees with a smile.

Be transparent with your employees. Do not be too rigid with them. Give them some freedom and liberty to take decisions on their own. Believe me; work will suffer if they have to take approvals for everything. Do not be after their lives for every small thing. Do not ask them to keep you in loop in every email. Let them handle situations on their own. Give them freedom to work in their own way.

Treat your employees as one. Never make fun of your team members.

Employees expect their salaries to be released on time. Never hold back their salaries or incentives. Sign their bills on time and do not ask for unnecessary explanations.

Mistakes Managers Make in Knowing Employees

Let us highlight some common mistakes managers make in knowing and managing employees: Do not expect your team members to know everything. How can an individual perform each and every task with perfection? Key responsibility areas should not be designed just for the sake of it. Responsibilities should be delegated as per capabilities, specialization and interest areas of individuals. Do not impose unnecessary burden on employees. Trust me; they would not stick around for a long time. Managers need to master the art of extracting the best out of each employee by assigning work which interests him/her. Do not ask everyone to do everything. It will lead to a complete mess. Accept the fact that in only very rare circumstances, an individual can perfectly match all your specifications. Yes, employees expect managers to connect on a personal level as well. Individuals feel motivated when their reporting boss enquires about their family, children or relatives. They speak high of their managers even if they are not around.

The common mistake which managers make in knowing employees is that they interfere too much in their personal lives. Problems arise when personal lives are discussed at the workplace. Please do not bring your personal problems to work. How would you feel if your Boss asks you about your affair? or something which is too personal. Managers should avoid discussing topics which have no relevance at the workplace. Too much of personal interference in anyone’s life is not at all acceptable in organizations. Avoid being overfriendly with your team members. You will have difficulty in managing them as friendship is all about going out together, gossiping, and complaining about work and sometimes even Boss. Be warm and polite with them. Small get-togethers or snacks parties are excellent initiatives to know your employees but make sure you are not overdoing the same. Too much of parties also spoil the work culture and employees stop taking work seriously. Do not ask for undue favours from your team members.

Knowing employees does not mean that you will sit and gossip with your team members. Managers need to spend time with their subordinates to know what they are upto,to find out where they are lacking, in which all areas they can contribute more? and so on. Knowing employees helps managers to understand their capabilities, strong points, weaknesses etc. You do not have to waste your time by simply discussing things which are not related to work. Remember, your organization is paying you for your hard work, so please do not waste time unnecessarily, instead find out how you along with your team members can contribute more effectively towards your organization.

Even if you know everything about an employee, please do not disclose internal policies and strategies which probably the top management has confided in you. You never know when the other individual backstabs you.

Managers feel addressing employees by their nick names would bring them closer to their team members. Sometimes it may go the other way round. Avoid calling them by their nicknames or surnames. They might feel bad. Call employees only by their first names. Avoid slangs at workplace.

Encourage two way transparent communications at workplace.

Things Employees Hide from Managers

Why do you think employees lie to their managers and superiors? There are several instances when employees feel compelled to hide the truth from their seniors. Let us go through some instances where the phrase “Honesty is the best policy” does not work. An employee will never tell his manager that the targets imposed on him/her are unrealistic and impossible. Individuals have a tendency to say a yes to everything their boss asks them to do. You need to negotiate. If you feel something is not possible, speak up in the beginning itself if you do not wish to face the music later on. Managers should not set unrealistic targets for their team members. Unrealistic targets compel employees to speak lies to their reporting Bosses. Employees should have the liberty to express their opinions and views. If you feel your manager is being irrational, you have all the rights to correct him. Do not forget to be polite. Never ever be rude to anyone at the workplace.

Job responsibilities should be assigned to employees as per their specialization, interest areas and capabilities. Some employees do lie in order to get jobs, but as a manager you need to be smart enough to understand in what all situations an individual can hide the truth from you. Do not impose anything on your team members. The moment work becomes a burden for employees, they start lying.

Do not be after an employee’s life to finish tasks. Competition is necessary to extract the best out of employees but be careful it should not lead to unnecessary pressure among employees. Employees lie when there is unnecessary work pressure on them. Give them enough time to complete their assignments provided the client does not want results in the shortest possible time frame.

Employees hide things from managers when managers do not share things with them. Remember as a manager, you need to be honest enough to expect honesty from your employees. It is essential to be transparent with your team members. Sit with your team members on a common platform; take their suggestions as well while formulating important strategies and policies. Employees should be very clear about the rules and regulations of the organization.

Managers ought to be sensible if they expect their team members to be honest with them. Do you think if you do not allow your subordinate to take a leave on his birthday, he would be honest to you in future? He would definitely find out some other excuse to take a leave on his special day. Be rational. Some days are special and no one likes to work on his/her birthday or anniversary.

Do not force your employees to make false commitments to customers. The moment you ask your employees to speak lies to customers, there is no guarantee that they would be honest to you also.

Managers should not interfere in any employee’s personal life. Do not ask anything to your employees which is not related to their job. If you ask your team member whether he is going around with his female counterpart, do you think you will ever get an honest reply? Avoid personal talks at workplace. Office is not a place where you can discuss your affairs, personal problems, your dresses, jeweler and so on.

Employees will hide things from you if you adopt a “Hitler” like approach at the workplace. Employees tend to play with information if you are too strict with them. You need to deal with employees sensibly and in a mature way.

Things Managers Should Know About Their Employees

It is essential for a manager to know his/her team members well to understand their strengths, key responsibility areas, weaknesses, capabilities and where all they need his guidance and hand-holding. Calling employees by their first names not only motivates them to strive hard to deliver their level best but also leads to happy and satisfied employees. Organizations, where managers do not even know the names of their team members often face problems of high attrition rate, dissatisfied employees, conflicts and misunderstandings among employees eventually leading to lower productivity. Let us go through certain things which are mandatory for a manager to know about his/her employees: A manager needs to know the complete background of each and every individual who is a part of his team. Find out whether the individual concerned has: Any criminal record or not? How well has he/she performed in his previous organization? His/her credentials, past experience, specialization, interest levels and so on How frequently has he/she changed his/her previous organizations? His/her permanent residential address, contact numbers etc

Please do not forget to collect the photocopies of their educational certificates, passport or any other address verification proof for your own records. It helps you check the authenticity of an individual. You need to find out whether the other person is actually speaking the truth or not?

You really need to know individuals well before you recruit them in the team and make them responsible for ongoing projects. Reference checks are essential and help you in knowing a lot about an employee. Make sure, reference checks are done only when you are really sure of hiring the individual, else it might land the other person in trouble. Understand whether the individual really deserves to be a part of your team and organization or not? Do not hire individuals just because you have to fill a vacant position. Believe me, if you do not bother to know your employees well and verify their basic details, they would not stick around for a long time. Trust me, one fine day; they will disappear, leaving both you and your organization in deep trouble. You would have nothing to do if an employee leaves you in the middle of a project.

Managers ought to know the capabilities, expertise, skill sets of each and every individual. It helps in effective delegation of authority and tasks. Mismatch of job responsibilities leads to unnecessary confusions at the workplace. A manager needs to know interest areas and hobbies of employees to understand them better. As a manager, you need to know which employee can perform what all tasks with perfection and where all he /she still needs some improvement. You need to understand an employee’s growth plan and his/her role in the team as well as organization. A manager ought to know what motivates an individual to perform as per expectations.

Managers need to know the contact numbers of all their team members. You need to know the birthdays and anniversaries of your employees. Do not forget to wish them on their special days for them to feel important at the workplace.

Role of Communication in Knowing Employees

It is essential for managers to know their employees well to expect loyalty and commitment in return. Employees need to feel comfortable at the workplace for them to deliver their level best. It is completely unprofessional to address your employees as “Mr”,“Ms”” or “hey”. There is absolutely no need to address them as “Sir“ or “Madam” even. It is absolutely okay if you call them by their first names. Communication plays an important role in knowing your fellow workers. The role of a supervisor is not just to exchange mails with his team members. You need to sit with your employees and understand what exactly they expect from you and the organization. Find out whether they are satisfied with their performances or overall job responsibilities or not? You need to know where all he is lacking and what all initiatives would help him perform even better. Interaction is very important. Yes, emails are essential but why do you always have to depend on emails and SMSes? Why can’t you directly speak to the individual concerned? Trust me, it will solve half of your problems and make work easier for you.

There is absolutely no harm if you speak to members of other departments as well. Sideways communication plays a crucial role in strengthening the bond among employees. Knowing employees well also enables managers to understand which employee can perform a particular task and which employee cannot? It helps you decide the key responsibility areas of your team members as per their specialization and capabilities. It is important for you to know whether an individual has any criminal background or not, how has he performed at his previous organization, his contact number, address and so on. If you do not keep a proper track on your employees, don’t be surprised if he leaves the organization all of a sudden. Interacting with employees does not mean you start interfering in someone’s personal lives.

Informal interactions are also important to break the ice and know your employees. Encourage morning meetings at workplace where employees can plan their day and also brainstorm ideas to come up with innovative solutions. Trust me; it will increase the overall productivity of the employee as well as organization. Allow employees to bring their cups of coffee with them. Let them open up.

Greet everyone with a smile. No employee can work at a stretch for nine to ten hours. Encourage employees to have lunch together. Let employees interact with each other. Even managers can join their team members for lunch or small get-togethers once in a while. It is the responsibility of the human resource professionals to send birthday greetings to the employees.

Celebrate important festivals at workplace which would bring employees closer and also give them an opportunity to interact with each other. Such small initiatives also lead to a healthy work culture. No one likes to work in an organization where employees do not speak with each other.

Employees should have an easy access to their manager’s cabin. Healthy Communication leads to free flow of information and better relationships at workplace.

How to Know Your Employees?

Managers need to know their employees for them to feel valued and indispensable for the organization. Even the best of salaries and facilities would not help you retain your employees, if you do not appreciate and acknowledge their hard work. You need to know your employees’ well - their capabilities, skill sets, expertise and also their weak spots, career goals, growth plans and so on. Find out what motivates them and what makes them unhappy. Let us go through various ways which help managers know their team members. Encourage healthy communication at workplace. Every employee irrespective of his /her designation and level in the hierarchy should have the liberty to express his/her views and opinions. Let individuals interact with each other and come up with their problems as well as innovative ideas which would not only increase their productivity but also benefit the organization. Managers need to communicate with the team members to make them feel comfortable and important at the workplace.

Interacting with employees will help you know many things about an individual which you would never come to know if you maintain a distance from him/her. If you do not speak to them, they would never come to you with their problems and eventually lose interest in work. Call employees together on a common platform to brainstorm ideas or discuss major issues.

Merely addressing a single individual every time might make the other team members feel ignored and left out. Office is not a place where you can favour someone just because he is your friend or relative. Managers ought to be approachable. It is essential to connect with your employees. Have lunch with them or go out for picnics or parties with your subordinates once in a while. Encourage employees to celebrate important festivals at workplace. Such activities bring individuals not only from a single team but all other departments closer to each other. Stand by your team and support them whenever they need your assistance. Once in a while, sit with them at their workstations and find out how they have planned their day or month, how would they achieve their targets, what all assistance they need from your end? and what all is going on in their personal lives?

Managers or team leaders should not only depend on human resource professionals to recruit new talent. Make sure to meet the new individual once before releasing the final offer letter. Do not ask your favourite employee to explain the new member his/her job responsibilities. Remember, as a manager, you are face of your team. Do make it a point to sit with the new member and induct him/her into the organization. Find out how the new employee can make a difference to your team and organization on the whole.

Employees expect your handholding and guidance always. Greet them with a smile. Wish them on their birthdays or anniversaries. Save their contact numbers and also put a reminder in your mobile so that you do not forget their special days. Believe me, a message from a manager to his team members will make their day even more special.

Review their work on a regular basis. It helps you know what employees are up to and in which all areas they need your guidance? Managers need to understand their team members beyond their work.

Role of Leadership in Knowing Employees

Employees are the backbone of an organization who play a crucial role in its success and failure. Employees need to feel comfortable at workplace and work should never be a mere source of burden for them. Employees ought to be valued if you want them to deliver their level best. They need to be appreciated and their hard work ought to be acknowledged in front of all.

Leadership plays a crucial role in knowing your employees.

Believe me, gone are the days when managers used to keep their subordinates at arm’s length. This way, please do not expect your team members to listen to you or respect you. You need to make your employees feel important at workplace. Remember, as a manager, your job is not only to delegate responsibilities to your team members but also take them along. Please do not restrict yourself to your cabins only. Come out, sit with your team members, find out what they have planned for the entire day, and know whether they are satisfied with their performance or not and so on.

What is the use of being a manager if you do not know what your team members are up to? Always make it a habit to call your team members by their first name. Avoid calling them by their nicknames. It is completely unprofessional. Make it a point to speak to your team members at least once in a day. Enquire about their family members, their well being etc but do not interfere too much in their personal lives. They might not like it. Employees expect managers to enquire about their personal lives but you do not need to interfere much.

Join your team members for lunch once in a while. Be careful; do not discuss only work during lunch hours. If you do so, don’t be surprised if your team members don’t call you for lunch the next day. Take them out for small get-togethers after work. Ask your employees to bring their families as well. As a manager, you have to take the initiative to bring the employees closer to each other and also know each other well.

Organize small activities at the workplace which help break the ice among employees. Who says you can’t be friends with your co workers. Yes competition is necessary at workplace but do not forget that we need people around to speak to, discuss our problems, share our happiness and so on. After all, we are human beings, not machines. There is no problem if you speak to individuals representing other departments as long as you are not revealing your team’s projects and strategies.

You need to be a strong leader who plays a crucial role in letting your team members know that there is someone who cares for them. They need to be supported and assisted in their day to day operations. Strong leadership goes a long way in binding the team together. Know what motivates your employees. Find out what all is lacking in your team members and what all additional skills can make them a better and efficient resource.