5 Tips to Managing Employee Expectations

When you're running a company, you have the insurmountable task of being in charge of the well-being and safety of dozens, sometimes hundreds, of employees. This position requires you to fill some pretty big shoes. Often, you need to walk a fine line between overseeing a major job and fulfilling the expectations of the workers that look to you for guidance. If you're the go-to person that's in charge at your company, here are five tips to give your employees exactly what they need while also earning their respect.

Don't Waste Their Time

When you work on a job that's located miles from your main office, it's simply not feasible to punch a time clock at one location and then drive to another to begin work. In order to not waste your employees' valuable time, use a mobile time clock. As an example, let's say you work in construction, there is a construction app that makes it easy for your employees to clock in and out on site. This type of application allows crew members to clock-in wherever the job is, either on their own phones or a supervisor's tablet. This way, employees can proceed directly to a worksite at the beginning of their shift. The app works by GPS surveillance to prevent false clock-ins, and can show workers' locations, schedules and send data directly to payroll, ensuring accuracy.

Provide the Right Tools

When a new employee comes on board, they presume they'll be educated on exactly how to comply with your policies. Regardless of their experience, they should be granted a training period, even if it's just to get a feel for the ropes. In combination with training, employees need to be armed with all the safety equipment they need to do a job right. It's your obligation to ensure they're fully instructed on where to access whatever they need to perform their work securely. Giving an employee the right tools for the trade prevents any misunderstandings in protocol.

Treat Everyone Equally

When you're in charge of a large group of employees, it's easy to see them as one unit. However, each worker has circumstances of their own, but it's still imperative that everyone be treated equally. The workplace is not the setting to play favorites if you want your workers to function well together. Avoiding preferential treatment is a hallmark of a good boss. You need to be a neutral party and keep everyone on even ground. It'll make your job easier as an owner or supervisor, because one set of rules applies to everyone.

Recognize Achievements

It doesn't matter what line of work you're in or the position you hold, everyone wants to feel appreciated. When you've done a job worthy of applause, getting a clap on the back and recognition motivates you to work even harder. You'll increase your chances of earning loyalty from your employees simply by acknowledging a job well done. When someone achieves a new high, not only will that worker want to give more, it also strengthens the entire work team. While constructive criticism is part of any job, praise when praise is due is essential to employee morale.

Admit Your Own Mistakes

As much effort as you put forth, mistakes are bound to happen and this occurs no matter how high you are on the chain of command. Even bosses make mistakes and when something's just not panning out the way it should, it's time to reassess and formulate a new plan. It's always best to admit your own mistakes and listen to everyone's input before moving on together as a team. Fessing up to an error in judgement makes you much more human and relatable to your employees.

Take Charge

Being in charge means that you'll never make everyone happy all of the time, but if you can make most of them happy most of the time, you're doing pretty well. Leading isn't always easy, but by respecting your workers' time, treating them equally and taking note of their achievements, you'll have a team that can't help but look up to you.