Focus on Performance

The need to focus on performance has never been more critical.  The business world has been turned upside down by the pandemic, with companies unsure on how to maximise the output of their staff.

Recruitment of staff is more challenging now than it has been since the 1960s, both in terms of quantity and quality. Equally, what do staff want in terms of working flexibility?  New staff require interaction to learn, which means being office based.  However, experienced staff welcome the time and financial saving by working from home.  As a result, companies are attempting to devise contracts that appeal to both and aid staff retention.

Build into this that the number of staff off work for sickness has never been so high, which appears to be linked with the growing awareness of mental health issues. Providing staff with the right balance of requirements has never been more important.

Little wonder that so much time is wrapped up in HR, recruitment and staff engagement issues.  It is easy to forget though that the most important focus, however, is the need for each and every member of staff to be part of the profit making process of any company.

To make profit, you need satisfied customers who want your product/service and see the price you are charging as representing competitive value.

Actions to take to keep focus on performance

How to tie in performance with today’s recruitment and staff retention challenges.

1. Review your job specifications. Do they focus on required outputs? Are they tied in with the values of the Company? Does the wording highlight the job from a benefit perspective as opposed to a feature perspective?

2. Appraisals.  Do staff appraisals provide greater weighting to output and living the Company values – which in turn, drives percentage pay increases?

3. Recognition.  What do you do to highlight outstanding staff performance?  Equally, how do you link this with financial profit to the Company? Sales is easy to link but also how much money has an HR rep saved your Company by ensuring a particular process has been followed which prevents a potential law suit? What about admin staff? How much time have they saved other staff, which has allowed them to be more successful in sales or negotiation.

4. Recruitment.  Request evidence of an applicant’s contribution to the bottom line of their previous employer. What financial contribution to Company profits did their participation achieve?  In other words, what was their value to that employer and how do they quantify it?

Inattention to results or perhaps being distracted from the ultimate purpose of a business, will lead to its downfall.  So as important as all these current issues are, make sure that you maintain your focus on performance.

Here at Unlock Staff Potential, we are committed to supporting and training your staff to ensure they have the appropriate skills to help your business flourish. Contact us for a bespoke training quotation.