The easiest (and hardest) expense to control in business is your payroll. In the current economy, many employers have felt the need to trim their payroll dollars. While this preserves the bottom line, it also creates more stress and workload for the associates on their assigned shift. It is therefore extremely important to keep these associates motivated and in an upbeat atmosphere.
The most obvious thing to do is often the most neglected. Simply use the good manners your mother taught you. “Please” and “thank you” go a long way in any situation. Be gracious and courteous towards all of your employees and you will notice that this will trickle out to the sales floor. If an associate has done something particularly noteworthy or out of the ordinary leave them a handwritten note of appreciation. This takes only three minutes and will go along way in making this employee feel valuable.
Keep the atmosphere light by being a little silly. Take pictures of your associates and keep them on a board in the back room. Everyone loves to look at pictures. Maybe make it a “facebook” kind of thing where you leave each other goofy notes. Pick a day to have an in-store picnic where everyone can bring a little something to share. Have a contest to generate some fun and excitement. The contest can be for the most email addresses collected, or the most “item of the week” sold, or any thing. The prizes need not be large or extravagant.
Have organized meetings on a regular basis. With coverage being thin not all employees get all of the information or details. By having a meeting you insure that all associates are on the same page and you can create a more positive atmosphere in this type of setting. Allow the employees to participate in the meetings or even assign them a task or topic to make them feel that they have something to contribute. By instilling a sense of ownership or pride in the business you empower you associates to become more proactive. If meetings are just hard to schedule at least keep them involved by posting a suggestion board.
Above all, set a good example. Lead with positive actions and a positive attitude. Don’t be afraid to ask of your employees what you are willing to do yourself.
