Good Company Culture: A Guide to Valuing and Protecting Your Employees

Waking up before dawn, still sleepy, and shuffling into the bathroom to get ready for a day at a job you don’t like is taxing on the nerves. When the alarm goes off, you have a sudden thought, Do I really need this job?

That’s why you went out on your own and started a small business you’re proud of. But here’s a question for you: are your employees happy to be working for you?

According to The Balance, there are three reasons employees quit their jobs:

− Poor relationship with the boss

− Work isn’t challenging or exciting

− Poor relationship(s) with colleagues

With recruiters going into overdrive and contacting all-star employees with promises of better pay and a fun work environment, there’s always a chance you can lose your best staff members. And did you know, job hunting activity goes up by 6 to 9 percent when an employee celebrates a work anniversary?

Don’t lose your best employee because of a situation that can be easily fixed. Here are some tips on improving your company’s culture and making your employees feel like they’re number one.

Offer competitive pay.
If your employees are making considerably less in their salaried position than the professionals in the same position at other companies in the area, they will look for other work opportunities. The Small Business Chronicle reports that offering competitive pay will help you “hold onto good people and ultimately help your bottom line.” When setting up a pay rate, consider the popularity of the position, the strength of the industry and geography. If you’re paying more than your competitors, hardworking professionals will flock to you.

Individualism is key.
Your employees need to know that you care about them. If they feel that they’re just another cog in the wheel, they’ll look elsewhere for an employer who values their work and who they are as a human being. The Chicago Tribune recommends learning more about your staff through asking them about activities they like to do and setting up one-on-one chats, meetings essentially. Before the tête-à-tête kicks off, ask them about what they did over the weekend and if they’ve been able to go hiking, paint or do whatever other hobby it is they like. By recognizing them as being more than an employee, they’ll see you as a better boss.

Get a workers’ compensation policy.

You should get workers’ compensation for two reasons:

1. Workers’ compensation is required by law in most states.
2. Workers’ compensation protects your employees (and your business) if they are injured on the job.

If one of your team members is hurt performing a work-related task, workers’ compensation will cover any resulting medical bills, lost wages and cover disability pay. If the absence of your star employee results in lost business, workers’ compensation will financially cover you there too by paying for the business interruption.

Your employees need to know that if something happens to them on the job, you’ll have their back. Workers’ compensation proves that.

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