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Never Underestimate the Importance of a Good Employee

– Contributed content –

Multitasking illustration

(Serena Wong, Pixabay)

9 Oct. 2019. As a business owner, you probably have employees working for your company on a daily basis.

On a very basic level, they come to work, get the job done (hopefully), and you pay them a salary. Across the business world, this is the usual reality.

However, do you ever consider the importance of your employees? Do you see them as people of value, or are they simply a means to an end; worker drones who do what needs to be done to keep your business ticking over?

It’s worth thinking about, as your business might suffer if you don’t. You see, your employees are more valuable than you might think, and if you have been underestimating them, it might be that you don’t have the right people working for you.

You see, good employees can be hard to find. We are talking about the top talent who will help you take your business to the next level. If you haven’t taken the time to hire the best people, then it might be time to improve your hiring process. Alternatively, you might want to train up and encourage your current staff to be better than they currently are.

Here are just a few of the ways the right employee will benefit your business.

#1: A good employee will care about his work

Some employees come to work for the pay-check alone. Some might work hard, but many will do the bare minimum. They don’t care about the goals of the business they are working for. They care little for company profits. And they don’t care about the better interests of yourself. The upshot of this for your business? Reduced profits, especially if the employee’s productivity is at a minimum. Reduced retention because the employee might leave your business if they find a better job elsewhere. And frustration for you, because your business won’t grow as it might.

A good employee, on the other hand, will care about the values and mission statements pertaining to your business. They will work hard, not only to please you but because they want the best for your business. And if they see value in the work they are doing; they are more likely to stick around for the long-term. As a consequence of all of this, your business will profit. Your customers and clients will be happier because of the quality of work provided by your employee. And you will have greater opportunities to grow your business.

Therefore, do all you can to hold onto your best employees. Treat them like gold dust. Because if you can take the time out to thank them for their hard work, they will continue to respect your business with the work they put in.

#2: A good employee will inspire and support those around him

There are those employees who will do little to benefit their colleagues. Their dodgy work ethics might rub off on others, and so other members of your staff might follow suit in the way they work. There are those employees who reduce morale in the workplace because of their behavior. They might bully others, gossip about other members of staff, and spend much of their time complaining incessantly. And there are those employees who are overly critical of others. They will sneer at their mistakes.. They will put down those who are weak in any way. And they will make little effort to help them.

On the other hand, a good employee will work hard and will inspire others to improve their work ethics as a consequence. They will actively support other members of staff and will help them in the work they have to do. Their behavior is such that other people look up to them, and they will be inspired to follow the good examples set. And the good employee will improve the morale of your team with their general attitude, perhaps because they favor positivity over negativity, or because they have the best interests of others at heart.

As a consequence of the good employee, your business will prosper. Not only will you benefit from the employee in question, but you will benefit from the overall morale of your other employees who are happier and more productive as a result of the good employee. So, if you have such a person in your workforce, thank them. You might even consider them for promotion when the opportunity arises, as they would be the perfect fit for a leadership position in your business.

#3: A good employee will know how to improve your business

You have many skills in business, we’re sure. There will be things that nobody else in your business can do as well as you. And through your skills and knowledge base, you will push your business forward as best as you can.

Still, you’re not infallible. You won’t have the know-how to do everything in your business. And you know this already because this is why you hire people to work for you in the first place. Well, that, and also because you would be in danger of burnout if you did try to take on too many tasks within your business. And because of your fallibility, you might not have the scope to move your business as far as you like.

And this is where a good employee comes into the equation. With their skill set, they will have the means to push your business to the next level. It could be their skills in marketing, sales, or web design, which will ensure you get more customers than your nearest competitors. Of course, it’s not only their skills that count. It’s also the drive they have to improve your business. It’s the drive they have to challenge themselves on a daily basis. And it’s the drive they have to be the best that they possibly can. These employees are invaluable, because this inner drive will drive your business forward.

And going beyond all of that, a good employee will also have a vision. They might come to you with new ideas that will give your business the edge over the competition. They might even work in their own time coming up with ways in how to take your business to the next level. They do so because they care for your business. And they do so because they want to make a difference in the role they have been given.

So, be sure to reward any employees who, through their skills, have gone the extra mile to make a marked difference to your business. And be sure to talk to your employees regularly, as one bright star might just have the ideas needed to take your business to places that you are still yet to dream of.

Things you need to do

Now that you can understand the value of a good employee, there are steps you need to take.

As suggested earlier, you need to improve your hiring process. By taking the time to source the top talent, be that at ground level, or into leadership positions with the support of Executive Recruiters, you will have the very best people working with you.

You also need to care for your current employees, as you don’t want to lose anybody who is making a real difference to your company.

By taking these steps, your business will steadily improve and grow. You will then have the means to employ new people onto your team, again with the intention of adding more people to your business that can grow it further.

So, never underestimate the importance of good employees. Above and beyond your efforts, they could be the people who ultimately turn your business into a success story.

Thanks for reading.

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