Employees and the bottom line.

• Author: Brown, Andy
• Position: HR Matters

Successful businesses are always aware of one simple fact: it's all about the bottom line. There are so many factors that affect the bottom line, an entire industry exists to evaluate ways to increase it. Frequently, however, those same businesses that are so conscious of the bottom line miss another simple fact: the most powerful influence on a company's bottom line is not the market, economy or even customers--it is the employees.

HAPPY EMPLOYEES WORK HARDER

Happy employees work harder and provide better customer service. Well-trained employees are more efficient, and function better as a team. Loyal employees find ways to save the company money. I don't need to describe all the ways that unhappy or disgruntled employees can harm an organization.

Even when an employer realizes the total impact employees have on the organization, the challenge remains of how to hire, retain and promote good employees. Part of that challenge stems for differing ideas of what makes a good employee. I personally know some employers who think a good employee is simply someone who shows up on time. There is a common misunderstanding that good employees are born, not made. Most employees will conform to effective policies and procedures, but employers need to spend time identifying areas where their employees can benefit from training because while some employees have inherent skills necessary for business, many do not. Those skills can be taught.

MANAGEMENT BUY-IN NEEDED

Grooming your employees for supervisory, management or other roles within your business pays huge dividends. Employees see the opportunity for growth and advancement, both of which are significant motivating factors, and employers benefit by having managers who know the business, are able to contribute on multiple levels, and who they have been able to see on the job.

There are significant obstacles to effective training. The first is that any successful training program requires buy-in from existing management. There will always be an excuse to forego training. Time and money constraints are the most common. Management must support training or any reason will be sufficient to do without. Buy-in is also crucial for...