How to Tell When Your Employee Needs Space

“Give me some space.” You might have heard that from family or friends before. But what about your employees?

Just like those in your personal life, your staff also wants the freedom to make their own decisions, work autonomously, and set their work schedules to some degree. And if they don’t get it, they’ll often leave for more flexible work environments.

How can you tell when an employee needs some space? Here are a few red flags:

You have high turnover. There’s a lot of turnover on your team because employees are feeling constricted and unhappy.

You’re missing deadlines. Your team is missing deadlines because you’re making all the decisions and constantly asking for updates, leading to delays in the process. 

You’re micromanaging. You’re the only one talking at meetings, giving detailed instructions for every task, even the smallest ones. This approach is not only going to cause bottlenecks, but frustrated employees, as well.

The good news is, even if you notice the signs above or others, there are simple ways to make big improvements. When you do, you’ll give your employees the elbow room they need to do their jobs. Some steps to consider include the following.

Letting employees work a more flexible schedule.

Your employees will be happier at work and overall when they’re able to operate on a schedule that makes the best sense for their lifestyle. Let them telecommute one or two days each week, or work a flexible schedule that allows them to arrive and leave earlier.

Sharing your expectations and then letting them figure out how to meet them.

You hired each employee for a reason. Let them showcase their strengths and talents by taking their jobs and running with them. Give them parameters in the form of goals and expectations. However, don’t micromanage. Let them have room to breathe and make their own decisions, too.

Not contacting them after business hours.

Unless it’s an emergency situation, don’t send out emails, texts or leave messages for employees after business hours. If you do this on a consistent basis, it’s going to eventually lead to burnout and disengagement.

Whether you have high turnover or are simply looking for help finding top people, reach out to the Grand Rapids recruitment team at Gill Staffing. We can find the people you need who can boost productivity and your bottom line. Give us a call today.