Appealing to the hearts and minds of your team is an essential part of achieving business success, explains ING DIRECT's Fiona Monfrooy
Independent brokers may have small teams, explains ING DIRECT's executive director - human resources, Fiona Monfrooy, but there is huge opportunity to attract great talent and keep them engaged by leveraging some of the benefits unique to SMEs.
So how can you best engage and ultimately retain your high performers?
1. Get the cultural fit right
People have to enjoy working with their manager and team mates; encourage referrals to the business, so that you can employ people you know or who have been recommended. It sets the foundation for a positive working environment.
2. Be flexible with working arrangements
As a small business, you have flexibility on your side. This is a real boon in terms of attracting and engaging your people, as you can give more leeway in terms of the hours people work, and the way in which they work, without the bureaucracy often part of big business. Remote wo
rking is becoming easier than ever with the growth of digital technology, and an attractive benefit that can help with staff retention – and keep office overheads down.
3. Let people contribute
High performers are naturally more inclined to want to take on more and do more, so be generous with accountability and let people take ownership of projects and see them through to completion.
In small business this can be a benefit to both sides. There’s a greater need for people to chip in across the board, at the same time the opportunity to do more outside of traditional job boundaries can instil confidence and be a great development tool.
4. Encourage people to try new things
Change is part and parcel of business operations so consider what your customers are looking for and encourage your people to think about how they can improve things. This can be simple things, such as interacting with customers via social media if you’re not already doing so, or even updating your website so it’s more customer friendly.
There’s no hard and fast rule, so ‘test and learn’ to see what works for your business. And, if it doesn’t work, try something new.
5. Reward people personally
One of the bonuses of working in a smaller business is the personal approach to celebration and reward. A close working environment makes it easier to get to know your team, and where their personal interests lie, so tailor rewards and celebrations to each individual for greater engagement.
Investing in your workforce is not only good for the individual, it’s good for business.
Fiona Monfrooy is executive director - human resources at ING DIRECT, responsible for overseeing all Human Resources and organisational development within the business. Prior to joining ING DIRECT, she held positions with Yahoo7, Volante/Commander, Ticketek, Vodafone, and SBS Television. A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Australian Human Resources Institute, she holds a Masters of Management (Distinction) with the University of Technology, Sydney, and holds a Professional Diploma in Human Resource Management from Deakin University.
So how can you best engage and ultimately retain your high performers?
1. Get the cultural fit right
People have to enjoy working with their manager and team mates; encourage referrals to the business, so that you can employ people you know or who have been recommended. It sets the foundation for a positive working environment.
2. Be flexible with working arrangements
As a small business, you have flexibility on your side. This is a real boon in terms of attracting and engaging your people, as you can give more leeway in terms of the hours people work, and the way in which they work, without the bureaucracy often part of big business. Remote wo
rking is becoming easier than ever with the growth of digital technology, and an attractive benefit that can help with staff retention – and keep office overheads down. 3. Let people contribute
High performers are naturally more inclined to want to take on more and do more, so be generous with accountability and let people take ownership of projects and see them through to completion.
In small business this can be a benefit to both sides. There’s a greater need for people to chip in across the board, at the same time the opportunity to do more outside of traditional job boundaries can instil confidence and be a great development tool.
4. Encourage people to try new things
Change is part and parcel of business operations so consider what your customers are looking for and encourage your people to think about how they can improve things. This can be simple things, such as interacting with customers via social media if you’re not already doing so, or even updating your website so it’s more customer friendly.
There’s no hard and fast rule, so ‘test and learn’ to see what works for your business. And, if it doesn’t work, try something new.
5. Reward people personally
One of the bonuses of working in a smaller business is the personal approach to celebration and reward. A close working environment makes it easier to get to know your team, and where their personal interests lie, so tailor rewards and celebrations to each individual for greater engagement.
Investing in your workforce is not only good for the individual, it’s good for business.
Fiona Monfrooy is executive director - human resources at ING DIRECT, responsible for overseeing all Human Resources and organisational development within the business. Prior to joining ING DIRECT, she held positions with Yahoo7, Volante/Commander, Ticketek, Vodafone, and SBS Television. A member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and Australian Human Resources Institute, she holds a Masters of Management (Distinction) with the University of Technology, Sydney, and holds a Professional Diploma in Human Resource Management from Deakin University.
