Creating an ideal workplace culture usually starts with management. They’re not just the people in charge—they are the people who set the tone for the entire office. If you’re looking to hire and support managers who care about their employees, you’ll want to take a few steps to ensure the success of all involved with that process. Here are a few ways you can train and support managers that care about employees.
Start from Square One
It’s generally quite a bit easier to create a caring atmosphere in your workplace from scratch than to overhaul one that has other priorities. As such, make sure that you build your business on a foundation that requires caring about your employees. If you are in an existing business, that might mean ripping your structure down to the foundation, but this will give you a much clearer base from which to build.
Be Clear About Your Priorities
If you want managers that care about employees, you have to let them know that from the beginning. Make sure that interpersonal dynamics are as important as profits when you’re interviewing new candidates and continue to make these relationships a focus in future trainings. Most managers will default to a solely profit-based style if they’re not given clear guidance to prioritize employees first.
Model from the Top
It’s also vital that you model caring about your employees as a business owner or operator. Look into management training that focus on charitable and employee-based models like Michael Sobota, for example. Your managers will see that great organizations put a great deal of effort into making sure they support the people under them. You need to be more than just supportive to your employees—that support needs to be conspicuous enough that your managers will follow your example.
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Finally, it’s time to put your money where your mouth is. When it comes time to promote, you need to make sure that the way your managers treat their subordinates is a big part of your metrics. The more that your managers can link together their own personal successes with the way they interact with other employees, the more likely they’ll be to follow the company’s mandates.
Remember, managers who care about employees are almost always more effective managers. Teaching your managers to embrace this fact can be difficult, but it’s worthwhile for all involved. Remember to model this behavior and push it whenever possible—with the right effort, you’ll create a better environment in your workplace.
Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most of her time hiking, biking, and gardening. For more information, contact Brooke via Facebook at facebook.com/brooke.chaplan or Twitter @BrookeChaplan
