February 21, 2024
Putting Together and Keeping a Winning Team
There is no question that a successful organization starts and ends with its staff. You can have the greatest product or service in the world, but if you do not have the talented staff to maintain it, you will quickly be replaced by a competitor that does. Of course, we don’t have to say how hard it is today to find talented A-players to fill your open positions. With the job market being the toughest it has been in a long time, it is now more difficult than ever to find those employees, with many demanding much higher salaries, benefits, and work situations.
Nevertheless, every organization needs A players to operate at its best. Without these individuals, efficiency and quality of work drop, directly impacting your company and your clients. Although there is no surefire solution, here are some suggestions to make finding and keeping A players a bit simpler. First and foremost, make sure you are doing your due diligence during the interview and screening process. There is no such thing as being too picky when you are looking to add someone to your team. Make sure you check references and that the employee has adequate prior experience. While we understand not all jobs need prior experience, it is always best to find individuals within the same industry. Once you’ve found your perfect A team players, it is essential to provide the resources and benefits to keep them. Unfortunately, this job market has tipped things in the favor of candidates. Many have various demands that did not exist before the pandemic. It is important to provide some of these resources (to the extent you can) and ensure your employees feel respected and appreciated.
Giving Credit (and Swag) Where It’s Due
There are various ways you, as an organization, can show employees how much you appreciate them. While you may not be able to give raises as frequently as employees would like, that is not all that matters. Little gestures can add up to a lot! How often do you order new company swag? If it’s been a few years, you’re not doing it often enough! Getting a new shirt with the company logo on it reminds an employee that they are part of the company family, that they represent what the organization stands for, and that they are valued.
How about individual shout-outs? When one of your employees goes above and beyond, why not share it with the entire company? Not only does it make your employee feel appreciated, but it also shows the rest of your staff that their individual efforts matter and will be praised accordingly.
Employee Satisfaction
Employee appreciation is more important than ever, and individuals are looking for ways to be involved with their companies outside of the daily 9-5 grind. Many companies are planning retreats and team-building exercises, which are crucial for employee satisfaction. Something we do here at Sharetec is quarterly renewals where the entire business comes together to reflect on the previous quarter and set goals and expectations for the upcoming quarter. We also reflect upon employees who have gone above and beyond for the company. Everyone is given the opportunity to suggest an award winner, and based on feedback, select employees are presented with awards. The awards are given for encompassing Sharetec’s company values; for being Bold, Powerful, and Caring teammates. You can read about our most recent award winners on our Careers page.
During this time, we also perform team-building exercises and other tasks. These not only provide a bit of fun but also allow our talented staff to express themselves. We also believe in the “Fun in the Funds,” which is something our departments really embrace. Each department plans activities throughout the year that help the employees get out of the office and do something fun together.
Another critical thing to keep in mind and do is frequent employee satisfaction surveys. These anonymous surveys will gauge how happy or unhappy the staff is and what areas need improvement. These surveys are the baseline for change in any organization, and that is how we operate here at Sharetec. We send surveys to our staff frequently to gauge their level of satisfaction throughout the year. These surveys bring change to our organization to ensure we hold on to our A players and grow. This also allows us to attract new A players that our organization needs to grow and thrive.