[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.16″ da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”4.23″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” width=”100%” custom_padding=”||0px||false|false” locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ module_class=”table-contents” _builder_version=”4.23″ background_color=”#f3f2f6″ custom_padding=”25px||25px||true|false” sticky_position=”top” sticky_limit_bottom=”section” sticky_position_tablet=”top” sticky_position_phone=”none” sticky_position_last_edited=”on|desktop” border_radii=”on|24px|24px|24px|24px” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.23″ text_font=”||||||||” global_colors_info=”{}” background__hover_enabled=”on|desktop”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Intro” _builder_version=”4.27.6″ header_2_font_size=”32px” custom_margin=”||0px|||” hover_enabled=”0″ header_2_font_size_tablet=”30px” header_2_font_size_phone=”26px” header_2_font_size_last_edited=”on|tablet” global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Your team is a big reason your business runs smoothly (or not). By developing your employees, you have people who care and actively contribute to your business at a high level. What\u2019s difficult is knowing how to cultivate your employees\u2019 skills effectively so they can work independently and help your company grow.<\/p>\n
You need to hire for potential when interviewing candidates. Not every role can be filled and performed immediately; it takes time for an employee to get used to the role, no matter how qualified they are. When hiring staff, look for qualities such as collaboration, ability to learn quickly, independence, motivation, and strong communication skills.<\/p>\n
Traits like these give you a great foundation to build from. This can also apply to existing staff members of your business. Once they are part of your organisation, you can cultivate their talents.<\/p>\n
To develop staff effectively, you need to take a number of actionable steps to round them out as contributors to your business.<\/p>\n
Training staff will require some hand-holding at first \u2014 whether it’s yourself or a senior staff member showing them the ropes. Also include an introduction to the parts of the business to give them a feel for the overall business. After an introduction and a pairing activity with other staff, gradually give your new staff member more autonomy.<\/p>\n
Delegating<\/a> is a vital skill for every business owner and manager. You need to trust that your staff can function without you, because you can\u2019t always be available for day-to-day operations. This is where you give your staff members more autonomy over a task and the responsibility to complete it without your input unless prompted. Greater responsibilities help the staff member become more confident in their abilities and contribute more, which lets you trust them to work independently.<\/p>\n As your staff become more confident in their role, you can supercharge their development by coaching and upskilling them. To get the ball rolling, schedule monthly meetings or one-on-ones to identify their goals and career aspirations. Once these are identified, you can develop a plan to improve by taking on more responsibility, pursuing higher education, or taking online courses. Getting to know what your employee wants out of work can help you find motivators for them, but you also might find that their plans align with your own goals as a business owner<\/a>.<\/p>\n Communication and feedback about your employees\u2019 progress\/work can be addressed in your one-on-ones, but it is also good practice to normalise discussions on what went well and what can be improved. Encourage all your employees to provide feedback. This creates a collaborative environment where everyone can contribute and grow together.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.reckon.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Employee-incentives.png” alt=”Employee incentives are either monetary or non-monetary” title_text=”Employee Incentives” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Developing your employees’ skills should also be accompanied by incentives that improve productivity and motivation. If you treat your employees well, they are more likely to work harder for you. Compensation is also a great way to retain staff and reduce employee turnover.<\/p>\n You can keep staff around in a number of ways, but the most common is through monetary incentives.<\/p>\n Performance-based compensation<\/strong> Profit sharing<\/strong> Campaign\/project incentives<\/strong> Incentives don\u2019t always have to be monetary. You can improve productivity by adding non-monetary benefits.<\/p>\n Flexible work arrangements<\/strong> Develoment<\/strong> Workplace benefits<\/strong> Having a dedicated staff development playbook should be part of your operations. Create simple cards to easily track each worker’s progress. For instance, here is something you could implement in your staff\u2019s development:<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text disabled_on=”off|off|off” admin_label=”Scenario” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” text_text_color=”#0a004a” background_color=”#eeecff” custom_margin=”30px||||false|false” custom_padding=”20px|30px|30px|30px|false|false” border_radii=”on|20px|20px|20px|20px” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\nCoaching and upskilling<\/h3>\n
Communication and feedback<\/h3>\n
Step 3: Incentives and productivity<\/h2>\n
Small business-friendly monetary incentives<\/h3>\n
Providing quarterly or year-end performance-based bonuses and compensation is a common way for businesses to show appreciation for employees’ hard work. Make sure to tie bonuses to clearly defined metrics for your staff, whether sales-based, project-based, or client feedback-based.<\/p>\n
Profit-sharing is an option that some businesses provide to key staff members or senior employees who are essential to their operations. Profit-sharing is tied to the business’s overall performance, so it incentivises your best employees to be productive.<\/p>\n
These are one-off incentives that can be tied to a specific campaign, project, or a critical period in the year. This is a token of appreciation for employees who step up when the moment arises.<\/p>\nSmall business-friendly non-monetary incentives<\/h3>\n
Offering work-from-home or remote work (where applicable) options is a great way to help staff maintain a better work-life balance. Work-life balance<\/a> is more important than ever for workers and can be the deciding factor in whether to accept a job.<\/p>\n
Development, education, and upskilling benefit you and your staff. This is an investment in your business, as your staff improve their skillset and pursue their goals, while their contributions have a greater impact.<\/p>\n
Other workplace benefits can include free lunches, gym memberships, and extracurricular activities (such as sports or team-building events). Creating a workplace that fosters company culture, social, or health benefits is a valuable perk and is always appreciated.<\/p>\nEmployee Development Procedure<\/h2>\n
Employee development card example<\/h3>\n