There has been a record-breaking increase in the number of small businesses starting up in the past decade. It’s not surprising to see how exponentially the work culture is changing and employees are now being more open to working in startups.
But for a startup to succeed, there has to be superior management at play. This means managing processes as well as resources in an optimized way. Even a small mistake could end up causing major havoc for the startup.
Thankfully, there are plenty of tried & tested ideas that can be incorporated to manage your new startup employees the right way. Following are some of the best practices successful startup founders swear by to build a collaborative and successful work environment:
- Cultivate the right workplace culture:
The first thing every startup founder must do is to hire the right team to create the right workplace culture. Hiring employees just to fill vacant positions is a huge waste of time, money, and effort. Instead, focus on finding employees who have the right skill set to justify a position.
It is equally important to cultivate a culture of continuous learning so employees keep growing their knowledge. This becomes easy with tools like Adobe Captivate Prime. And with the Adobe Captivate Prime cost being as low as $4 per registered user, it is an affordable option for startups.
- Be clear about employees having to be flexible:
In each startup, employees are expected to fulfill multiple roles and be flexible when it comes to taking up new responsibilities. When the startup founders fail to explicitly clarify this to employees during their hiring process, it can cause a lot of chaos.
It is crucial to set the right expectations early on to ensure employees are prepared to take up tasks outside of their work profile. This creates a transparent work environment and allows you to build an agile workforce.
- Be a leader, not a dictator:
It is obvious for a startup founder to want better control over their employees, but wanting excessive control over employees and micromanaging them can lower their morale. It is necessary to be a leader and guide them in their work.
Do not hesitate to roll your sleeves up and show them how to do things the right way when they are stuck. This will gain you more respect and set the right example for your employees. Simply being a dictator and forcing work instead of guiding your team can make your employees distant and disengaged.
- Give autonomy:
While it may seem tempting to want everything to happen your way, it can feel restraining and suffocating for employees. Give employees the autonomy to do things their way and take full ownership of their work.
When employees are given the power to make their own decisions and fail while learning how to do things the right way, it empowers them and makes them better at their jobs. It also increases accountability and helps them deliver better results.
- Celebrate small wins:
It may feel foolish to celebrate a small victory as there are businesses out there doing 10X better than yours, but it allows you to acknowledge and appreciate your team’s contribution. Receiving recognition for their work motivates employees to do better.
Celebrate every small milestone your startup achieves and give employees the credit they deserve in helping your startup achieve it. This makes them feel a valuable part of the company and increases their commitment to the company.
Conclusion:
Managing startup employees is easier because there are fewer employees and you are able to connect with them directly. But ensuring their needs are met and they feel appreciated is the key to helping your startup flourish.