You know when you have walked into a company that understands the importance of training employees because as a customer, you will feel heard, helped and valued even if you purchase nothing. Behavioral Metrics are measurements that help companies monitor the actions and attitudes of employees. Effective ways to measure the attitudes of those working for and with you may be project feedbacks, meeting evaluations, employee appraisals and peer evaluations.
When you do these evaluations or feedbacks, the categories you will monitor are:
1. Commitment - adherence to policies, level of participation, and efforts to provide training.
2. Communication - surveys of employees and customers; error elimination caused by ineffective communications; and recognition of outstanding communication of employees.
3. Cooperation - shared financial risks and regards; effective problem resolving and reporting efforts, formal recognition of cooperation.
Your business's long-term success is possible only when employees' behavior is aligned and everyone works for the benefit of the company as a whole. Even if you are a micro business with few employees, your attitude will shine through in the tone and tenor of your communications and your commitment to customer satisfaction.
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Changing Lanes LLC Paying Your Employees What they are Worth
Recently, a friend of mine changed jobs. He worked for a great company, small but great and was treated well. He was able to express ideas and actually see those ideas come to light. His work was rewarding and he enjoyed what he did. But in the few short years he was there, he outpaced his position - his talent and skills grew but his position did not. After 6 years my friend was still being paid as a junior analyst. He had gotten some raises some years, and some years not.
On a whim, my friend interviewed for another job more in line with his skill level. The position turned out to be a low level analyst position. The salary started off at 1.5x his current salary. My friend stepped up his search and within a 6 months had found another job. It was a mid level analyst position, 1.7x his current salary with less overtime, better benefits, and at a similar sized company.
When he told his current employer that he was leaving, they were shocked. My friend kept in contact with a few old co-workers, who kept him appraised of the status of the company. After a month, the company hired someone new. The company couldn't afford someone with the same skills as my friend. Not even close. They ended up with another junior analyst.
The company suffered. Projects took much longer to complete. Work that my friend use to do, never got done. Work had to be redone. Work flow hit a bottleneck. Profits slowed.
This wasn't because my friend was irreplaceable. Everyone is replaceable. The problem is he grew the job and often in small business, as long as people do their job and don't rock the boat, they keep working regardless of their value to the company.
On a whim, my friend interviewed for another job more in line with his skill level. The position turned out to be a low level analyst position. The salary started off at 1.5x his current salary. My friend stepped up his search and within a 6 months had found another job. It was a mid level analyst position, 1.7x his current salary with less overtime, better benefits, and at a similar sized company.
When he told his current employer that he was leaving, they were shocked. My friend kept in contact with a few old co-workers, who kept him appraised of the status of the company. After a month, the company hired someone new. The company couldn't afford someone with the same skills as my friend. Not even close. They ended up with another junior analyst.
The company suffered. Projects took much longer to complete. Work that my friend use to do, never got done. Work had to be redone. Work flow hit a bottleneck. Profits slowed.
This wasn't because my friend was irreplaceable. Everyone is replaceable. The problem is he grew the job and often in small business, as long as people do their job and don't rock the boat, they keep working regardless of their value to the company.
Yearly reviews and occasional job analysis will sometimes save you from replacing employees. The average cost to replace an employee is $17,000 unless they are making over $60,000 in which case it starts at about $30,000. Keeping your employees coming to work is more than just having a desk at the office.
Jeff Mendelsohn
liquid@liquidmechanix.com
