Own A Tech Startup? What It Takes To Engage Your Employees & Come Out On Top
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Being the tech company that comes up with the next ground-breaking software or hardware can bring rapid growth to your startup. That brings challenges as well as sales, however. All the hard work you’ve put in could fall apart if you don’t keep employees inspired and on-mission for the next project. Here are some ideas for keeping your workforce engaged and focused.
Keep Communicating
Constant and open communication is important to workflow, efficiency, and accuracy. Nobody wants to be flying blind or left out of the loop in team environments. As the leader, you must make sure that everyone has the information they need, and that key data and tools are updated. While you grow, you can ensure that everyone communicates so that nothing is left undone, duplicate efforts don’t occur, and certain units don’t take ownership of information others may need.
Empower Workers
A lack of organization can be a major obstacle that slows every process down. Formally define job descriptions and duties. Ensure that workflows and procedures are clearly documented, and charts or diagrams are accessible to the team. Motivate workers through personal connections and let them know they’re recognized and valued as individuals. It’s important to provide motivation. Each disengaged employee costs you $2,000 annually.
Create Metrics
It’s usually easy to keep track of things as a small company, but as you grow and there’s more going on your own operations become less transparent. Key performance indicators (KPIs) should be established that measure productivity and quality throughout the workforce, from departments down to individuals. Informational systems like dashboards or automated reports will allow you to get a quick and easy overview of what’s happening. You can check the numbers unit by unit on a daily or weekly basis and spot trends and issues as soon as they begin to occur.
Hire Smart People
In fact, hire people who are smarter than you. For every role in your company, it’s better to have an expert on the subject than to try to teach new skills. As a tech company, you need people well educated in computer science, particularly those with versatile skills such as an at-school or online masters in database administration. This will also free up more time for you to concentrate on organization, motivation, and leadership.
You’re going to have to make decisions every day. It’s important to support this with a team that’s not only knowledgeable and productive, but dedicated.
