Don't waste time on scheduling. Spend time with your staff.
Part of Findmyshift's overall goal is to reduce the amount of time both staff and managers spend on staff rotas. That way there's more time to invest in more valuable tasks like making where you work a more fun and productive place. If the research is right and being happy is the key to your staff's work performance then make sure your line managers know about these secret ingredients for a happy work environment.
Energy.
Positive energy is infectious. Not only can you actually make yourself feel more positive by thinking positively, you can also make people around you happier by simply thinking happy thoughts. In fact, research has shown that all emotions can be contagious so be careful on those off days as you may also spread negative energy because line managers have a lot of influence over their employees' moods. One CEO recently explained that people join a company because of the pay or benefits, but the reason they stay is normally to do with their boss and co-workers. Don't worry if this sounds like you have to go to great lengths to be in a happy mood all the time because you don't; we're not talking about anything more than a simple smile. Even smiling is contagious!
Engagement
We use this term rather than communication as it is more dynamic and requires a bit more effort than just "listening and talking". Instead, engagement suggests that you are actively involved in a two way ongoing interaction rather than a stop-start conversation. Engage with your staff by knowing more about them, the type of people they are, what they like and don't like and most importantly, remembering as much of this as you can!
Here are some other ideas for employee engagement.
Encouragement
They say that "flattery will get you everywhere", but we'd rather focus on how flattery will get your staff thinking positively about the work they do. You don't need pom-poms or a fanfare to offer staff encouragement. In fact, it is often much simpler than that with research by Harvard Business Review showing that most staff defined a great work day as a day that involved "progress", meaning the best work days are those in which they achieve a lot. Highlight to your staff how much they help you and contribute to the company and you'll be offering the ultimate encouragement.
Evaluation
It shouldn't be just the manager's job to evaluate an employee's performance, and in many ways this is a very passive way to do staff assessments. What's more effective and will boost staff morale is involving staff in the process. Extensive research has shown that when staff are encouraged to assess their own strengths and weaknesses they feel valued and this results in "internal motivation". In other words, this means managers not only improve the staff's mood but they also reduce the burden on them to keep staff motivated!
Ever Present Management
While encouragement and positivity will be most effective in boosting staff morale, there is something to be said for just being there. Staff like approachable managers. By being present in the work space and showing you are a team-player, you will be engaging with staff and in turn making them happier. Even better if you're there with a smile!