After what feels like years of struggling alone with your business, you’ve finally got to that stage where you can afford a little extra help. You’ve become an employer – you have a fantastic team of people helping you run your business, and yet you have no idea how to be a great boss. You want to be a boss who has happy employees that are productive and enjoy coming to work, but you also want to ensure that you’re respected by your team. It’s one thing to have a laugh with your employees, but it’s another to become the brunt of their jokes.

 

To help you be the best boss that you can be, below are some of the worst mistakes that you could make as an employer. Take these on board and you can ensure that you’re the boss that you’ve always wanted to be.

 

Not investing in their team

 

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Your employees are what helps you to keep your company above water, so it’s wise to invest in them. If you’ve got a junior team member who aspires to be in a senior role in a specific area of your business, take the time to help them get there.

 

Offer them training opportunities, allow them to shadow more experienced team members, and invest in them. By doing this, the employee is more likely to stay working for you for longer. They’ll also be more likely to work hard because they know that you appreciate and reward hard workers.

 

Failing to show employees that they care

 

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How you reward your employees for their work, such as with pay and other benefits, shows them that you care. If you want your employees to stick around and move up through your company, it’s important to show them that you appreciate them. When it comes to employee pay and benefits, you need to think carefully about what you offer.

 

As well as taking into account the law, it’s also wise to look at what your competitors give their staff. If you want your employees to stick with you, you need to offer them things that other local companies offer, such as private healthcare. Perhaps you could create a survey and ask your team members what benefits they would like?

 

Making zero effort to get to know team members

 

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You might be in charge, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t take the time to get to know your team members. You can be the boss and still be a friend to the members of your team; it’s just a case of being smart about how you go about it. Organise team nights out – go for dinner and drinks or go bowling, host takeaway evenings at work – find ways to get the whole team together.

 

Get to know each and every team member, and you’ll find that your workplaces is a happier one because of it. Plus, by getting to know each of your employees, you’ll be able to get an idea of what makes them tick. Then, you can tailor benefits and rewards to their likes and dislikes. For instance, some people like being praised in front of everyone else, while others prefer a quieter and more discrete thank you.

 

If you want to be an amazing boss, take note of the mistakes above and ensure that you don’t make them. Implement the tips and suggestions also mentioned, and you can ensure that your workplace is a friendly, happy and productive one.