Employee Management

         Having a team of employees that work well together is essential for any organization to succeed. But managing a team takes effort, planning, and strategy. Effective employee management is key to keeping employees motivated, productive, and engaged at work.

In this comprehensive guide, we will look at various aspects of employee management including:

• The importance of employee management
• Best practices for managing employees
• Using technology and software to enhance management
• Case study: How Hasons manages employees through their HR portal

Why Employee Management Matters

         For any organization, its employees are its biggest asset. Your team is the engine that keeps your business running every day. That’s why properly managing your employees should be a top priority. Here are some of the key reasons effective employee management is crucial:

• Boosts productivity. With good management, employees understand their roles and responsibilities clearly. This leads to higher productivity.
• Improves engagement. Employees feel valued and connected to the organization’s mission when managed properly. This enhances engagement.
• Develops talent. Management involves coaching employees to help them advance their skills and abilities. This leads to talent development.
• Drives retention. Employees are more likely to stay with a company long-term when they feel supported by effective management.
• Enhances collaboration. Good management facilitates collaboration and teamwork among employees.
• Allows scaling. With systems for clear employee management in place, it’s easier to scale your team as the company grows.

        When you invest the time to manage employees thoughtfully, it pays dividends through a motivated, thriving workforce.

Best Practices for Managing Employees

          Managing diverse teams of employees is an art and a science. Here are some best practices to master:

Set Clear Expectations

           Employees need to understand their roles and responsibilities from day one. This includes:

• Job description. Provide a clearly written job description highlighting the position’s core duties. Set expectations for quality and deadlines.
• Performance metrics. Establish quantifiable performance metrics to track progress. Make sure employees understand what they need to achieve.
• Company policies. Educate employees on company policies and procedures around issues like attendance, work hours, conduct, etc.

Setting expectations upfront ensures everyone is on the same page.

Provide Regular Feedback

           Don’t just provide feedback during formal performance reviews. Employees need regular check-ins on how they are doing:

• Weekly one-on-ones. Meet with each team member weekly to touch base on their work. Offer feedback to guide them.
• Monthly reviews. More comprehensive monthly reviews help identify issues early before the annual review.
• Real-time feedback. If an employee does exceptional or subpar work, let them know right away so they can course correct.

Consistency is key for feedback to be helpful. Employees should never be surprised during formal reviews.

Coach for Success

Think of yourself as a coach guiding your players to victory. This coaching mindset is powerful for management:

• Ask questions. Don’t provide all the answers. Ask thoughtful questions to spur employees’ thinking.
• Remove roadblocks. If employees struggle with aspects of their work, coach them through difficulties.
• Suggest training. If there are skill gaps, recommend training and development resources to level up abilities.
• Share knowledge. Managers often have years of experience. Pass down your knowledge through coaching.

Coaching boosts team members’ confidence and capabilities over time.

Motivate and Inspire

Employees need to feel inspired and motivated to bring their best each day. As a manager, you set the tone:

• Lead by example. Model a strong work ethic and positive attitude. Your example influences others.
• Recognize achievements. From major accomplishments to small wins, recognize employees’ efforts.
• Build relationships. Take a personal interest in employees as individuals. Strong relationships are motivating.
• Communicate vision. Ensure employees see how their work fits into the big-picture vision and mission.

When employees feel motivated coming to work, it unlocks discretionary effort that takes the organization to the next level.

Promote Teamwork and Collaboration

Teams perform better than individuals. As a manager you need to actively cultivate collaboration:

• Define team goals. Establish shared goals and metrics for the team to strive towards collectively.
• Encourage sharing. Create channels for employees to share ideas and expertise with each other.
• Build bonds. Organize team building activities so employees develop bonds with their coworkers.
• Resolve conflicts. Don’t let conflicts fester. Address issues between team members promptly and fairly.
• Value diversity. Highlight how each employee’s unique background and skills contribute to the team’s success.

With authentic camaraderie and team spirit, your group can achieve more together than alone.

Empower Employees

Micromanaging staffers rarely brings the best results. Strive to empower employees:

• Delegate tasks. Assign meaningful work that stretches employees’ capabilities.
• Involve in decision-making. Consult employees to get their input on decisions that will impact their work.
• Allow autonomy. Give employees freedom on how they complete tasks and reach objectives.
• Trust abilities. Assume employees are competent at their jobs and allow them to work independently.
• Reward initiative. If employees take initiative to improve processes or bring new ideas, commend their efforts.

When you demonstrate trust in your team’s abilities, it builds confidence and ownership.

By following these management best practices consistently, you will build an engaged, high-performing team positioned for success.

Leveraging Technology for Employee Management

         Technology has opened up exciting possibilities when it comes to managing employees effectively. Here are some of the ways HR software and platforms can optimize the process:

Communication Tools

• Email. Email allows convenient communication with the entire team or specific employees.
• Instant messaging. Platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams enable real-time communication.
• Video conferencing. Hold virtual one-on-one meetings with staffers using Zoom, Skype, etc.
• Message boards. Intranet message boards let employees collaborate and share knowledge.

With digital communications, managers can connect with remote employees easily.

Performance Management Software

• Goal setting. Employees can log goals in the system with deadlines to track progress.
• Continuous feedback. Managers and peers can provide feedback anytime through the performance platform.
• Reviews. Conduct digital performance reviews and store them on the employee’s profile.
• Analytics. Dashboards analyze employee performance data to identify high and low performers.

Automating performance management is easier than manual methods.

Learning Management Systems

• Training content. Upload your training content like presentations, videos, PDFs and more onto the LMS.
• Assign training. Managers can assign specific learning modules based on employee development needs.
• Tracking. The LMS tracks employee completion of assigned training programs.
• Assessments. Use quizzes and assessments to test employees’ understanding of training content.

LMS platforms make training and development scalable across the organization.

Staff Management Software Cost

Pricing for staff management software varies based on the vendor, number of users, and functionality:

• Basic software – 500-2000 per user per month. Includes basic features like shift scheduling, leave management, etc.
• Intermediate software – 2000-5000 per user per month. Adds performance management, onboarding, etc.
• Advanced software – 5000-10000+ per user per month. Includes the full suite of talent management features.
• Payroll software – Payroll features cost extra, approximately 200-500 more per user monthly.

          For reference, Bamboo HR starts at 300/user/month for their basic plan while Workday starts at 8000/user/month with advanced functionality. Evaluate your budget and needs before selecting software.

Benefits of Staff Management Software

Investing in a staff management system has many benefits:

• Saves manager time. Automates tasks like scheduling, onboarding, performance reviews.
• Enhances HR reporting. Provides insights with real-time HR analytics and reporting.
• Improves compliance. Inbuilt compliance controls lower regulatory risks.
• Increases transparency. Gives employees access to schedules, pay info, docs, and more.
• Boosts onboarding. Onboarding portals get new hires up to speed smoothly.
• Facilitates training. Makes assigning and tracking training easy.
• Centralizes data. All employee documents, performance data, schedules, and profiles are in one secure platform.
• Mobile access. Managers and employees can access the system from their phones on the go.

Choosing the right software gives your employee management a digital upgrade.

Top Employee Management Software Platforms

If you’re looking for software to optimize staff management, here are top platforms to consider:

Bamboo HR

• Intuitive HRIS packed with features
• Mobile apps for managers and employees
• Integrates with 1000+ other software tools
• Robust applicant tracking and onboarding
• Used by over 20,000 organizations

Workday

• End-to-end HCM system
• Advanced analytics with real-time dashboards
• Machine learning capabilities
• Scales to enterprises with 10,000+ employees
• Used by Fortune 500s like Amazon, Netflix, Walmart

Deputy

• Specialized for scheduling employees
• Shift planning, leave management, timesheets
• Task assignments to employees
• Seamless payroll integration
• Used by over 200,000 businesses

PeopleSoft

• Packed with HR modules and self-service
• Talent acquisition and talent management
• Automates administrative HR tasks
• Global HCM capabilities
• Used by major corporations and governments

           The right software depends on your business needs. But platforms like these can take your staff management to the next level.

Employee Management at Hasons Through HR Portal

         To provide a specific example of managing employees through technology, let’s examine how the HR portal at the fictional company Hasons enables effective staff management.

         Hasons’ HR portal provides managers and employees a central platform to handle all people-related tasks and availability of information. Let’s explore some of its key features:

Manager Features

For managers, the HR portal empowers them to:

• Post job openings that automatically publish to multiple job boards
• Review applicants through the portal with customizable application workflows
• Onboard new hires by assigning online onboarding checklists
• Manage employee documentation like offer letters, PTO requests, tax forms digitally
• Access employee profiles with their skills, goals, training records, and performance metrics
• Schedule shifts and approve leave/overtime requests
• Assign training content through the LMS and track completion
• Provide real-time feedback to employees and conduct online performance reviews
• Access HR analytics dashboards to view recruitment, retention and other workforce metrics

Employee Self-Service Features

For employees, the HR portal enables them to:

• View schedules, leave balances, payroll information, and benefits options
• Request time off and shift changes through the portal
• Update their personal information, contact details, and skill profiles
• Submit queries and requests to HR like change of address
• Enroll for company benefits and modify selections
• Browse and sign-up for internal job openings
• Access pay stubs, tax forms, company newsletters, handbooks
• Complete assigned training and development modules
• Participate in performance reviews and receive feedback

           By centralizing staff management through the HR portal, both managers and employees benefit at Hasons. It streamlines people management processes while empowering employees with useful self-service.

Key Takeaways for Effective Employee Management

Managing a team of employees is crucial yet challenging. Here are some of the key takeaways from this guide:

• Proper employee management improves productivity, engagement, development, retention and collaboration. Make it a priority.
• Set clear expectations, provide regular feedback, coach, motivate and promote teamwork for success.
• Technology like HR software and platforms empower managers with tools to manage staff efficiently.
• Staff management software costs approximately 500-10000 per user monthly based on features. Evaluate options to find the best fit.
• Leading software platforms include BambooHR, Workday, Deputy, PeopleSoft and more. Each has unique advantages.
• Centralized HR portals like Hasons’ example consolidate staff management through an easy-to-use digital system.

         Managing people requires adaptability, empathy and commitment. But by investing in your team and leveraging the right technology, you can lead your workforce to greater heights.

        If you build a thoughtful management process powered by solutions like an HR portal, you position your organization for sustainable success.