In any working environment, it’s important that all your employees understand their responsibilities, as well as your expectations of them.
With this in mind, it’s important that you take the time to set clear and concise expectations for your workforce, so that you can achieve your business goals and create a credible reputation that you are proud of.
Communicating your expectations also reduces confusion, optimises productivity, allows your employees to fulfil their expectations, and helps to increase engagement.
But what are employee expectations?
Employer expectations reflect what employers want to see or hear from their employees when they are working. They are standards an employer puts in place to ensure that their employees remain focused, motivated, respectful, and productive.
For example, you should expect all your employees to maintain the following behaviours in the workplace:
- Display a positive and respectful attitude
- Work with honesty and integrity
- Maintain good attendance
- Adopt a positive and supportive attitude
- Be responsive to change
- Represent the organisation in a responsible manner
- Perform to a high standard
- Adhere to company rules
- Respect company values
- Conduct themselves in a professional manner, even when off duty
- Follow set policies and procedures when dealing with issues
How do you inform your employees of expected standards?
Once you have set out the standards and expectations you have for your employees, you need to ensure that they are aware. After all, how can they meet, or even exceed, your expectations, if they don’t know what they are?
Here are some steps to take to help you communicate your expectations with your team:
- When an employee joins your business, always make sure you provide a full explanation of your expectations, including the job responsibilities, company policies and procedures
- Set clear objectives and goals so that there is a clear understanding of what you want your employee to achieve in a certain period
- Provide regular feedback on performance so employees know if they are meeting your expectations
- Always provide credit and acknowledgment for work achievements and exceeding expectations
- Explain the importance of your expectations and provide any relevant resources
- Check in with employees on a regular basis, providing meaningful feedback
- Provide adequate training, support and leadership so that employees have the tools you need to meet your expected standards.
And remember, always set expectations as early as possible so that your employees understand what is expected of them from the moment they join your business. When prospective employees are in tune with your values, they’ll feel more supported and connected even before working for you.
Our team of HR professionals can help you establish standards and expectations within your organisation and ensure that your employees have the information and tools they need to meet them.
To find out more, please get in touch.
