The pandemic forced many organizations to switch to hybrid work, and this has brought forth all kinds of new automation opportunities and new hybrid work technologies. Unfortunately, the pandemic also brought a labor shortage with it, leaving many businesses struggling to find employees. So how do you combat this issue? This post will go over some ways that you can get the most out of your employees as soon as they’ve been hired and some ways that will help you retain them in the long term.

It is imperative that you hire the best people you can find. Look for great people who ask questions, point out errors, and can work without being monitored. If you’re paying the right amount for a certain position, your chances of finding high-quality people will increase.

During the interview process, be very honest about the benefits and problems of a certain position. Don’t make it sound too good to be true when you already know they will have to potentially deal with demanding clients, unpredictable schedules, or mundane tasks like cleaning toilets. If you let the potential hire know what they are getting into, then you’ll find the right people if you’re honest about what they need to do.

If you’re a manager for a business, then you’re probably used to being incredibly busy. When you’re always busy, it can be easy to put new hire training on the back burner, but in the long run, this can be a big mistake. Of course, someone could sit down with the new hire and show them how to log on to the business’s system and whatnot, but you need to make sure that you have a dedicated trainer so that the new employee can ask questions and have them answered properly.

Train the new employee on your systems, but also teach them about company culture. You can also send them training courses if you need to. Regardless of what you may need to do, it is always worth the time and effort to get a new employee up to speed as fast as you can.

You can’t expect your employees to be productive or effective if you don’t explain what they need to complete. Don’t be that person who punishes employees for wasting time when it was your fault for not explaining expectations in the first place.

For example, if your business responds to emails in an hour or less, say it. Don’t say, “respond as fast as you can,” because some employees may misunderstand this broad statement and really stretch out that response time.

The same thing goes for financial targets, productivity targets, and any other kind of target. Let your employees know exactly what they need to do. Every goal should be measurable and applicable.

You should also follow up with your employees in regular one-on-one meetings. If an employee is struggling, you can work out the issues with them or fire them. Regardless of what you do, you increase your performance.

If you want your employees to give you great results, then don’t play favorites with them. Judge your employees, new or seasoned, on the quality of their work. Make your schedules fair. If an employee reaches their goal, don’t back out of a raise if you promised them one. If they exceed their goal, don’t give them more responsibilities until you work some kind of promotion or bonus as well.

Did your employee fix an issue with a client? Let them know that their work was satisfactory! Or, if they made a mistake, let them know about it on the same day it happened in private so that the mistake doesn’t happen again. When you give feedback, your employees will know what works best and what they need to improve.

Nobody likes a “helicopter parent,” and the same goes for managers and bosses. You may get certain results, but you won’t get great performance. If an employee needs certain training to solve certain issues, arrange it for them. If another employee wants to change up the monthly reports to make them more consistent, don’t tell them no just because the current method is how it has always been done.

If you truly think an employee’s idea isn’t that great, ask for an explanation and listen. There is a high probability that they will know their position better than you do. Unless there are strong reasons to say no (something is too expensive, your organization doesn’t have enough resources, etc.) then let your employees do what’s best for their job.

Always, and we mean always listen to your employees. Listen to any ideas they have and remember that you did all you could to hire exceptional employees. It’s pointless to hire great people if you are going to treat them like robots. They aren’t robots. They are intelligent people with brains. Listen to their ideas, talk things out with them, and give them great feedback when they need it.