Gift Basket Business Blog

Help Your Employees Succeed and Help Your Gift Basket Business

Maybe you’ve found the perfect person to hire! She has experience in a similar business and demonstrates all the skills that are required for the job. But how can you be sure that she’ll succeed in your business?

Even a person with experience needs to know your expectations and learn your procedures. When you hire someone new, take some time to teach them what they need to know to be successful. Be clear about your vision and mission for your business as well as the values you hold about handling customers and working cooperatively with other employees. Make sure that you’re very clear about your “rules”: what time they are expected to get to work, how long breaks and lunch should be, whether they can accept personal phone calls, etc.  Then, be concise about how you want things done. If you have certain expectations for cleaning the work room, make sure they know it. If you have want specific information from all new customers, give them a list of questions to cover when they’re helping a customer.

Once a new employee knows what you expect, give her lots of feedback during her first weeks at work. Correct mistakes, but also point out when things have been done exactly as you want. Ask her questions: take advantage of her experience. And most importantly, model the behaviors you want. If you expect your customers to be treated with dignity and respect, then treat your employees in the same way.

Helping your employees be “the best they can be” will work well for them, for your customers and for your business!

4 comments July 26th, 2009