5 Tips for Effective Workforce Management

Whatever your job entails, it probably takes a lot of effort, daily decisions, and people management to keep things rolling along smoothly. Managing employees is one of the toughest aspects of running a business. Every day involves other peoples’ skills and preferences, moods and mindsets. Yet, managing the workforce is a key ingredient in your recipe for success.

Effective workforce management demands starting with the acknowledgment that employees are critically important. They can make or break any given day (and your business). But with proper structure and strategies, your efforts will reap rewards.

1. Build Your Team. Like any group effort, the right people matter. Hire to enhance your company’s business plan. Focus on the skill sets you need for your business, but keep personality and style in mind. There are likely more qualified people than there are people who are right for your organization. Review and revise your business plans as needed and quickly shift the workforce to meet new requirements. Often, companies do not change personnel and skills quickly enough to support business goals.
2. Keep it Positive. I’ve happily worked crummy jobs in good companies. Those positive environments made a huge difference in performance and loyalty. When an employer coaches with respect, asks for feedback, and appreciates good work, the workforce is happier and responds with improved performance. And then you have to reward that performance. Positive reinforcement can be anything from a pat on the back to gifts and public recognition, so it can fit any budget and keep the workforce environment positive.
3. Use Technology’s Strengths. HRIS systems provide analytics to assist your decision-making as you massage your workforce needs. Scheduling software eases scheduling woes. And a dedication to reliable connectivity keeps communication fluid for all employees, no matter where they are.
4. Link Communication. It seems communication is always an issue at some point because people always want more information. No one is a mind-reader, and workforce management needs collaboration and open dialogue. Communicate business plans and goals for everyone to hear. Departments can’t work in silos and need to have communication opportunities to meet those goals. All employees must feel safe to ask questions, no matter their level within the organization. Set up calls, meetings, or team-building activities that move the business agenda forward.
5. Look in the Mirror. Workforce management improves when we are willing to look at ways to improve. That comes by being open and humble enough to listen to others and admit where processes need improvement. When an organization misses a target, we need to consider all possible places for improvement.

Workforce management, executed well, bolsters your organization’s ability to meet goals. Employees and management work together productively with good leadership. Solid plans, a positive environment, and dedicated technology and self-reflection strategies will result in measurable business success.

Author Profile Jon Forknell is the Vice President and General Manager of Atlas Business Solutions, Inc., a software marketing company specializing in employee scheduling software, including ScheduleBase employee scheduling software, and other business software solutions. In the past, Jon has been recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a SBA Young Entrepreneur of the Year. For many years, Atlas Business Solutions has been named one of Software Magazine’s Top 500 Software Companies.