Effective employee management practices are some of the best ways to reduce general labor in the workplace. When the manager within a business understands how to do more with less and implements staff optimization strategies, many perks tend to come their way. From long-term employee retention to a lower cost of labor, employee management is definitely a topic to familiarize yourself with. In this blog, we’ll cover all the details you need to know. So, let’s jump right in!

Employee Management Definition 

Employee management, also known as workforce management, refers to the processes of keeping a team working smoothly. It's typically the job of the business owner or manager, as they oversee all functions and departments. Employee management consists of many duties and responsibilities. So, let's go over the most popular ones. 

Regardless of the company you operate, employee management will consist of the following functions:

• Hiring and recruitment 
• Onboarding and training 
• Payroll and benefits 
• Performance evaluations 
• Employee engagement strategies 

The purpose of employee management is to achieve operational efficiency. In turn, it also helps accomplish employee and customer satisfaction. This is primarily done by lessening general labor. But how? We'll cover this soon. But let’s go over the basics of general labor.

General Labor Definition 

General labor is synonymous with manual labor. It refers to the duties and responsibilities of the overall labor force. But more specifically, it refers to labor work that is physical, and most often done by hand. 

In the restaurant industry, this can take on a few different types of work. For instance, the wait staff in a restaurant is constantly on their feet serving customers. Meanwhile, the sous chef is hustling in the kitchen preparing meals. 

It’s rare to find an industry where general labor doesn’t exist. That’s why it’s so important to implement effective employee management techniques. Luckily, we’ll cover some of those in the next section.

5 Employee Management Techniques to Reduce General Labor 

Ready to leverage employee management strategies to lessen general labor? Below, we’ll cover five easy ways to do so! Continue reading for all the details.

1. Begin By Conducting Labor Forecasting Efforts

Labor forecasting is one of the first steps you should take before implementing employee management tactics. This is because it’s important to know if you have the option to hire additional staff members. It’ll also help you determine a budget for things like professional development resources. 

Labor forecasting may also tell you how your business is performing with your current staff roster. For example, you might find that your current labor investments is paying off, and operations are pretty efficient. In this case, you would dedicate any additional time and funds towards bettering your team, also known as excellent employee management!

2. Implement Labor Saving Devices 

There are many labor solutions that can enhance employee management. In this day and age, most of them are digital solutions that can sync with your current systems. For instance, cloud technology can operate a POS system and host related app integrations. Or, restaurants can use something like tabletop devices to reduce the amount of work for the waiters and waitresses. 

Doing more with less is essential to improving employee management processes. As you can already see, it can even keep a business afloat during a labor shortage, too. And, the more you can do with technology, the lower your labor cost can be!

3. Provide Employees With Staff Development Materials

Staff development resources should be given on a regular basis. However, it’s important to be mindful about the materials you’re supplying your team with. Though it might seem like a particular resource is relevant to the industry as a whole, it might not be suitable for each position. 

When employees find resources relevant and relatable to their job, it becomes more likely that they’ll retain the information. So if you want to train your food and beverage director on up and coming tech solutions, don’t supply servers with the same materials. This is one of countless examples, but you get the point.

4. Regularly Send Out Employee Feedback Surveys

Allow your employees to voice their opinions and concerns about their roles. By sending out monthly anonymous surveys, they’ll be able to do just that. Then, leverage their responses to create a better workplace environment. 

Leveraging this idea can open your eyes to numerous growth opportunities in your business. This is likely due to the fact that not all employees will feel comfortable expressing their issues. So, finding a method that works for everyone is a sure way to retrieve ideas and insight. 

5. Offer Performance Management Services 

Training your employees shouldn’t end at the beginning of their time with your company. In fact, performance management and professional development should be key components for every position. And, they should be an ongoing requirement.

If you want to take this advice up a notch, allow staff development to revolve around each employee’s areas of improvement. Let’s say that during an employee evaluation it’s determined that there’s a particular area that the team member can improve. It would be in everyone’s best interest to dedicate professional development resources to this need. 

By using this strategy to improve each employee, you’ll end up with a well-rounded team. Not all of your employees are the same, so why should their professional development be?

Frequently Asked Questions About Employee Management  

Employee management is a vital part of operating a business. It takes attention to details, soft skills, and enthusiasm for the products and services. To provide a stellar customer experience and workplace environment, understanding the basics of employee management is a must. Check out the following FAQ for extra details.

What Is the Role of Employee Management?

The role of employee management is to ensure that staff members perform at their fullest capacity. In turn, it also refers to the process of maintaining seamless operations. From hiring the best team to rewarding exceptional performance, it's a broad term.

What Is the Best Way to Manage Employees In a Business?

The best way to manage employees is to follow these steps:

• Hire people who are enthusiastic about the job. 
• Maintain seamless communication
• Define your goals from the beginning 
• Thoroughly train each new hire 
• Check-in with your team on a regular basis
• Reward your staff for great performance 
• Nurture a positive company culture

What Are the Five Steps of Employee Management?

The five steps of employee engagement are:

1. Planning
2. Monitoring 
3. Developing 
4. Rating 
5. Rewarding

What Should Be Included In An Employee Management System?

An employee management system should include the following features:

• Time tracking tools
• Shift scheduling tools
• Time-off requests 
• An employee roster 
• A benefits dashboard 
• An employee portal 

Is Employee Management Considered a Skill?

Yes, employee management is one of the soft skills that many companies look for in candidates. People skills are much more difficult to prove on resumes, and is likely a topic of conversation during the interviews. If not, it will definitely be monitored on the job.

The More Employee Management, the Less General Labor 

Once you implement stellar employee management techniques, teams become much more efficient. This allows companies to lessen the amount of general labor that is needed to complete various tasks. Plus, they can save a lot of money in doing so. This makes it super beneficial for everyone in the organization. As one can imagine, this will lead to longevity and financial stability.