Small business has come a long way from the days of landlines and print only ads. Now, you spend much of your time competing with the big guys, thanks to technology.
Technology also helps small businesses attract and keep big talent. There are several strategies to keep your employees proactive, engaged, and happy. A great IT department, in-house or outsourced, is an unlikely, but important, part of keeping employee retention high.
Some companies keep employees around with superficial things like unlimited PTO or company-hosted social events. But let’s face it, people only looking for perks will leave when they find “better” perks elsewhere.
Great IT services, on the other hand, help keep your employees engaged and happy beyond perks, on everyday things. Once you have found great talent, hold on to them by making their work environment run smoothly.
Cloud-Based Tools to Reduce Unnecessary Drive Time
Lucky for us, we are living in the mobile revolution. Cloud-based tools are flooding the market as an effective way to make working remotely easier. An instant message isn’t just a thing of our AOL past; it helps people communicate quickly and effectively without disrupting workflow.
There are also several business applications with apps or mobile versions that can give you flexibility and optimize your time. Email, online collaboration tools and mobile computing devices can help on-the-go and in-office employees get their job done with ease.
A well-managed IT department will connect, update and service these tools that minimize everyday frustrations. A lot of the time, it’s not the job itself that makes good people quit, it’s the workflow, or lack thereof. I’m willing to bet that your IT professional can give you some ideas on how to use your current tools more efficiently, or updates that could have your employees collaborating at the speed of light.
Think about the processes your sales team uses right now. How do they enter data while on the road? How do they communicate with others in the office? Do they have easy access to their software from the road? If not, you can bet that driving back and forth from their appointments to the office to file an order - and losing hours each day on the road - would be a constant frustration. Not to mention potential misuse of your limited resources.
With high-performing IT personnel, you could cut out the time loss, and keep your sales team doing what they do best: sales.
Someone Helpful to Call When Things Go Wrong
Things go wrong. That is a fact of life. What’s frustrating about things going wrong is not having any support. Nine times out of ten, employees can play a role with mishaps. But if these things never get addressed, that's when real frustration sets in.
As a small business, you could have the best IT setup in the world. But if no one is there to help when stuff goes wrong, it amounts to nothing.
With a responsive IT support team, you give your employees someone to call. You extinguish the flames before your office is on fire, so to speak. This gives your employees a sense of control to deal with problems promptly, and keep frustrations low.
And if the IT team is proactively maintaining the system, the number of issues will go down, leaving employees to peacefully complete their tasks without IT problems in the first place.
When it’s all said and done, your IT department knows your system bes,t and your employees know their needs/wishes best. Have an open forum. Get to the bottom of what would make things run smoother. When employees know they have a voice, they also know they are appreciated. Employees aren’t just work horses, and IT isn’t just there to “make it work.” Together, they play a strategic role in the continued success of your company. It is a win-win situation when you actively engage both. Plus, a happy company keeps employees!
Think there's room for improvement in your IT department? Give us a call at (800) 481-4369. No sales pitch - just honest advice.
Related: IT Security Steps to Keep Out Snooping Employees
IT Untangled
IT can be complicated. We're here to help "untangle" it for you.
IT Untangled aims to provide clarity on IT topics for business people. This weekly blog series will explain and discuss the complex world of IT, in words you understand.
