Keeping employees engaged and inspired about their work can be difficult, especially if those employees are in the back office and don’t often receive the praise or limelight that more visible employees do. If you want to see your employees find fulfillment and get excited about their work again, try and implement some new practices.
There are many ways to engage employees, but we’ve compiled a list of what we believe is the most effective in inspiring and engaging back-office employees.
Internal Career Development Opportunities:
One of the biggest challenges in keeping employees happy and inspired is giving them somewhere to move forward. If your employees feel stuck, they’re less likely to work above and beyond in their position, because there’s seemingly no way up.
Inspire your back office employees through opportunity. An easy way to do this is through free webinars or classes taught by more experienced individuals in the company. Your back-office employees will be able to learn from those in higher positions and see a clear path to moving upward in the company. Forbes Magazine says that “Career boredom is a common reason for disengagement. Sometimes, employees leave because they want to experience something new.”
Encourage Employee Feedback:
Allow your employees to have the space to voice their concerns, what they’re excited about, etc. Employees, especially those in the back office, want to know they’re being heard and respected. If they know that their management wants to hear their opinions and feedback, they’re more likely to want to grow with the company and work through any potential issues.
If you let small issues go unnoticed or ignore your back office employees’ opinions, eventually it will pile up and could potentially lead to multiple employees quitting. Ask and encourage honest conservations between management and employees. Make sure to let your employees know that you value their dedication to the job and want to know how to improve or what to keep doing.
Stay Positive:
The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics found that negativity costs U.S. businesses more than $3 billion annually. If you have an abundance of employees in the back office, negativity can spread like wildfire. Encourage positive verbiage through your emails from management and any other corporate documents that they will receive. Don’t lie and use positive language if there’s something negative happening but if it’s possible, stay positive when you can! A positive attitude and mindset can create a work environment that encourages and uplifts all employees and inspire them to produce better work.
Reward Your Employees:
Set up a way to reward your hard-working employees in the back office. If you’re regularly rewarding employees and showcasing their dedication to the company and their work, they’ll feel valued and appreciated. This will inspire them to continue putting forth their best effort in their work. In addition, make sure to verbally reward them when management is interacting with back-office employees.
A performance-based reward system could also be a great incentive to inspire and encourage employees to put their best foot forward. You could use something similar to an employee of the month award, or you could offer extra incentives like vacation days or bonus’.
All of these are ways to engage with your back office employees and show them that they have value and are crucial to the success of your company. Back office employees are often who keep the business running. Remember, employees want to feel heard and respected, and they deserve to know they are. Without their aid, many companies would be scattered and lost in their own data, so make sure to encourage those employees to work with the numbers in the back office.
If you need to improve your back-office productivity and inspire your employees, reach out to us! We want to serve you and help you find fulfillment in your business and your life. Back office employees and solutions are what keep businesses running, so take the necessary steps to ensure their efficiency.