People make or break your business. They can fuel your day with problems or profits, but how that ends up is often a result of the people work you’ve done as the owner. You set the tone for your brand by the people you bring in and the value you place on them. This is the “people work.” It’s the backend work you do to ensure the people you bring in are happy and knowledgeable in how their role works. The people work is ideally done before you hire your first employee, but I find that after all these years, I am still doing people work. I am still perfecting the opportunities I can extend to our talent pool, and I am still defining nuances in each role to drive impact. I’m not sure I will ever be done with the people work, but I do know that I speak to a lot of owners that haven’t considered, haven’t attempted, or just don’t think it’s important to define the people piece of their business. These are your people. They should be extended grace and dignity inside the position you’re offering, and that starts with a defined role, clear paths of opportunity, and job perks that can be accessed and utilized at their discretion. It’s the people work that separates the professionals from the pretenders.
Time and Attendance
This is one of the largest pieces of structure you can offer your team. It gives guidance, accountability, and sets the tone for what will be tolerated. Time and attendance are tell-tale signs of who will be strong players in your future. People who respect the timelines of their role, the time of their teammates, and the shop’s workflow are invaluable assets that will appreciate the time boundaries you’ve set. Professionals want to work alongside professionals, and those who can’t come to work on time are often organically weeded out quickly amongst a group of pros. If you want a team that is productive and efficient, dig into your time and attendance policies, and stick to them.
Things to consider:
- What time do employees clock in, and what is considered “late”?
- How do they clock in, and where do they clock in?
- What happens they are “late” too many times?
Personal Time Off
This is something to nail down quickly. If you are interviewing someone, and they ask about time off, answer them with pride and confidence in what you offer. And if you aren’t proud, or don’t even know what you offer, look at fixing that. If you want people to work hard for you, give them something to work towards. The paycheck is just half the offer. Benefits are important to people. Knowing what you can offer is going to take some math, and will affect loaded payroll, so make sure you understand what you are offering, and don’t offer it begrudgingly. There is nothing worse than a boss that makes employees feel bad for taking wellness/vacation time. It is their earned time for being a part of your team.
For time off, consider:
- How many vacation days, wellness days, and holidays are offered?
- How do employees request time off, and are there blocks when time can’t be taken off?
- Will unused time off be paid back at the end of the year?
People are the heartbeat of your operation. They are your growth and stability. You can’t do it without them. Keep the heart beating strong by doing the people work.
