6 Tips to Make Your Employees More Confident at Work

You cannot build a strong company if your employees are weak. We are not talking about physical strength here. Effective workers are characterized by healthy self-esteem and high confidence level. If you have confident employees, you got a team of dynamic initiators who can do their tasks effectively even with less supervision.

As their employer, you have the responsibility of boosting your workers’ self-worth. This can help them be productive not just at work but also in the different areas of their lives. Here are what you can do to help them develop confidence especially at work.

1. On the spot and public appreciation

Whenever your employees do something great, acknowledge them immediately. On the spot appreciation is better reinforcement than an appreciation done after sometime. They will subconsciously take note of that cloud nine feeling and would want to repeat the experience. Everyone loves to be recognized especially in the public. This can boost the self-esteem of your workers, and they will do their best not just to maintain their accomplishments, but even surpass them. A simple ‘good job’ or ‘very good’ can be the magic words. Of course, be sincere when giving appreciations, because people know when words are just said for the sake of saying them.

2. Give incentives for a job well done

Aside from appreciations, tangible reinforcements can improve the performance of your employees. It would be great for them if you will have a monthly recognition of excellent performers. A box of chocolates, movie tickets for two, or a trip to a local tourist destination would inspire them to work harder. Giving salary bonus to top performing teams or employees would be a good compensation too. Everyone would surely be encouraged to do their best.

3. Ask for their ideas

Another way to boost the self-esteem or confidence of your employees is by asking for their suggestions or opinions about certain issues concerning the business or their work. You can also ask them to contribute ideas for new projects. This way, they will feel that they matter to you and to the business not just as mere workers, but as valued persons. Knowing that you trust them will make your employees trust their own judgments, ideas, and skills more. This will make them more productive—and who knows? Maybe they also have good ideas that can help improve your business.

4. Never reprimand them in the public

Reprimanding your employee in the presence of other people in the office would have a negative impact on that person. This will result to the opposite effect of praising employees in the public. The embarrassment of being publicly-reprimanded would make the person ashamed of himself or herself. Employees who experience this kind of treatment feel humiliated and they have the tendency to run back to their shells and never come out again. This would affect your business as humiliated employees would not be enthusiastic to do their work anymore. Other workers who witnessed what you did to their poor colleague would be afraid of you too, and they would be less confident in doing their jobs.  Also, it would not be a surprise if the employee you reprimanded would never show up again. For this reason, make sure to keep your cool whenever one of your workers commits a mistake in their job. Summon that employee to your office, and point out the concern in a professional and subtle way.

5. Do a sandwich evaluation

When evaluating the performance of your employees, do not focus on the mistakes or negative parts alone. It will kill their enthusiasm. Instead, apply the sandwich evaluation strategy: POSITIVE+NEGATIVE+POSITIVE. Before you mention the list of mistakes or what need to be improved, make the employee feel good about himself or herself first by pointing out the person’s achievements or good side. After giving your affirmation, you can already go to what needs to be changed, improved, or avoided. To keep the person from being discouraged, end the evaluation with appreciation and more positive thoughts. This kind of evaluation will keep your employees from being discouraged when they have done any mistake. Your assurance that they are doing good will help them to strive harder instead.

6. Provide trainings

Trainings and seminars can help people be confident of what they do. This is because they gain more knowledge, and their skills are improved through the exercises. As employees grow in their expertise, they become assets to the company. Of course, along the way, their confidence grows too. Therefore, it is beneficial to send your employees to trainings, conferences, and seminars. You can even set regular trainings for them in your office.

Without human resources, no business will stand. The greater pool of human resource your company has, the better it will be for your business. A good set of people working for you will ensure better production or service quality. However, not all the time you would get A-listers into your company. What you need to do then is empower your available workers until they become homegrown A-listers. Help them become confident at work, and they will help you be confident of your business.