Entrepreneur Resources Your source for small business information
Small businesses and new startups don’t have the manpower (or the bottom line) to do things the way established businesses do. But they want the same things – growth, profits, and success.
How do you get big results when you have a small workforce? The trick is to push your employees hard, while keeping them happy at the same time. Find ways to be productive while preventing extreme stress and employee burnout, and you’ll see greater success as well as a more motivated team.
Most startups and small businesses don’t have the resources to provide extreme employee perks. But there are ways to make your employees genuinely excited to come to work – without breaking the bank. Below are 5 ways to maximize resources and prevent employee burnout on a startup budget:
Reward progress, not perfection
Everyone likes to be recognized for their work. But instead of just rewarding employees for completed projects, offer small incentives along the way. If a big project is looming, break it into smaller steps to prevent employees from feeling overwhelmed. Offer rewards and motivations that are financially doable. For instance, you could bring in pastries from a nearby bakery, or allow employees to take an extra half hour at lunch time or leave for home a half hour early. Incentives, no matter how small, will show your employees that you care and keep them working hard.
Making certain projects into competitions is another way to inspire employees to perform. If only top performers are eligible for certain larger rewards, everyone will be inspired to work harder toward them. An example? You could offer a $5 gas card to all employees who meet a certain goal, but offer a $20 card to the person who gets the most work done.
Outsource and delegate
Take a look at the tasks you expect each of your employees to perform. If any of those tasks can be outsourced or delegated to someone less busy, do it. It takes only a few minutes of searching online to find a freelancer to do almost anything, whether it’s managing schedules or writing articles.
Freelancers are often much more affordable than hiring a full-time employee, since you’re not on the hook for taxes, insurance, or paid time off. And many freelancers are willing to work only a few hours a week as needed. Delegating certain tasks, from social media maintenance to website monitoring, can allow your employees to focus on more important projects, and reduce their workload to a more manageable level.
Provide breaks and fresh air
No one can sit at a desk or in front of a computer for 8+ hours a day without experiencing burnout. Encourage your employees to step away from the desk once in a while. Tell them they can take short walks around the building or down the street. Fresh air and exercise is a wonderful combination when it comes to motivating employees and getting their creative juices running.
If a walk isn’t possible, schedule several mini-breaks during the day for employees to stand up, stretch and give their minds a rest. Although may sound counter-productive, it’s actually the opposite. Fresh minds work better and more effectively than a brain that has been staring at a screen for the last four hours, and taking occasional breaks only increases productivity.
Use technology wisely
We live in a high-paced virtual world, where technology has increased the speed of almost everything we do. Put that technology to good use, and start automating some of your processes.
An example? If your financial manager currently emails you a copy of the budget, then waits for your email response before finalizing it, stop. Instead, use a cloud storage system like Google Drive or Dropbox to make managing documents easier. Any employee can upload files, edit them, share them and approve them – without having to sit around waiting for email responses. You can also look into online automation of payroll, scheduling, project management and more.
Create a place where people want to work
Does your workspace look like a typical office, with gray carpet, white walls and fluorescent lights? If so, change it up. Invest a little money to create a more pleasant work environment.
A coat of colorful paint will jazz up your space and energize your team. Let in natural light, and open windows when the weather permits. Allow employees to decorate their space as they would at home. Provide comfortable seating, places for both quiet and collaborative work, and amenities like coffee and snacks. A bright and airy space (that’s also clean and temperate) helps inspire creativity and productivity.
Want to increase productivity without causing burnout? Just fall back to the old Golden Rule. Imagine a place where you would want to work, if you were the employee and not the boss. Now go and create that for your own employees.
What tips and tricks do you use to maximize productivity while preventing employee burnout? Let us know in the comments.
Abby Perkins is Managing Editor at Talent Tribune, a SoftwareProviders.com blog dedicated to all things HR.
