Give Your Employees More Than A PayCheck

When salary is no longer enough, give your employees what they really need for professional satisfaction.

Foster Personal Responsibility – Don’t just put your direct report in charge of a project, give them responsibility and hold them accountable for their decisions. Furthermore, get them thinking about how their responsibility plays a major part in the company’s short and long term goals. In doing so, you’re getting them to think like a business owner, rather than just a salaried employee.

Encourage Creativity – Encourage your direct reports to create solutions within existing constraints such as budget, materials, or time. Give them the opportunity to present a variety of solutions and get them to explain their thought processes that led to such solutions. Throughout this process, you’re getting them to think critically about their work and you’ll find out how well your employee understands his or her work.

Inspire A Spirit of Learning – Inspire your direct reports to learn more about their field, take courses, or get mentoring from a more senior employee. Be sure to give them opportunities to use their new found talents and skills for future projects, otherwise they won’t feel that learning is valuable.

Follow through – Make sure you follow through on the aforementioned leadership techniques and engage your direct reports as they take on new ways of thinking and approaching challenges.