Changes You Should Make to Gear Up for the New Year

The new year is quickly approaching, making this a great time to think about changes you can make to improve your team’s productivity, outlook, and results when the calendar turns. Here are some resolutions you should think about making to get your department geared up for 2020.

Provide Growth Opportunities

You have talented people on your team who want to advance their careers. What are you doing to support them? Do they know the steps they need to take to move up, and are you coaching them to success? As you conduct year-end reviews, make sure to ask each employee about his or her long-term goals. When you identify people who want to advance and who have the leadership quality to do so, help them make a plan. Set quarterly check-ins with each person to see how they are progressing, offer coaching and support, and above all else, make them feel valued.

Put More Focus on Rewarding Achievements

You don’t have to throw a parade every time someone experiences success, but you should cultivate a culture where people are celebrated for achievements. Whether it’s taking time at each weekly staff meeting to recognize wins, sending out congratulatory emails or something bigger, take steps to show your employees that you notice their hard work, appreciate their contributions and recognize their achievements.

Invest in New Tools

Have your employees been complaining about their technology or tools? Investments in tech can be expensive, but if your tools are outdated and standing in the way of peak performance, it’s time to look at more effective solutions. Your team will appreciate your willingness to go to bat for them, and in the long-run, updating tech and tools can only help productivity and output.

Make Hard Choices

The new year is all about new opportunities, but it’s also an important time to think about some hard choices. Are there low-performers on your team who are dragging the entire group down? Do you have toxic employees who are destroying morale? Sit down with HR and talk about how to go about putting people on performance management plans or even letting people go if necessary. Sometimes you have to cut the dead weight to rise. It’s never easy, but the high-performing, engaged members of your team will benefit from these hard decisions.

Attract and Retain High Performers

Did you struggle with turnover last year? Did you lose one or more key players? Did you have to let some people go? Make 2020 the year you focus on improving hiring to boost team performance and retention, ensuring the long-term success of your team.

For more tips on improving engagement, recruitment, hiring, and retention, contact the staffing experts at The Reserves Network today.