We get it.
You need more managers and instead of recruiting externally, you promote an existing employee who excels at their job. They don’t have any line manager experience, but hey… what could possibly go wrong?
Slowly but surely the team that he/she is managing starts to drift. Productivity dips and before you know it, you’re having resignation letters land on your desk.
Sound familiar?
It’s a common theme that we see time and again, in organisations of all sizes.
Poor managers can create a huge problem for your business. Instead of taking a chance at who to promote or hire, we’re going to summarise what skills you SHOULD be looking for to save your SME any costly mistakes:
What makes a good manager?
A good manager inspires a team, fosters growth and productivity, and frequently asks for feedback on their management style. They lead from the front, as a role model and put effort and leadership into making their team successful.
A good manager is less concerned with how much praise they get, and more focused on their collective team performance and seeing the people they manage flourish and grow.
Of course, it goes without saying that they should be great and skilled at their job, but their values need to be inherently aligned with that of your organisation in order for their team to thrive.
Which brings me on to the next point..
Look for attitude over skills
When I’m looking to recruit on behalf of a client, I’m looking at their attitude, how they approach communication with me, what it is that motivates them and how they work best.
There’s a school of thought when recruiting that you should ‘Hire for culture fit, train for skills’ because doing so will ensure that a person can adapt to the core values of your organisation which in turn will help drive long-term growth and success for your business.
Attitude is much harder to learn, skills can easily be acquired…so long as they have the right attitude.
Training for your managers
SMEs need to invest in all levels of their business, but management training should be high up the agenda.
When you invest in management training for your SME, not only will your managers be trained in how to support the HR function, but they’ll also learn invaluable skills which are transferable to other areas of the business, including empathy, delegation, and decision-making skills.
Some areas where managers may need training include:
- The ability to effectively recruit
- Managing poor performance
- Dealing with disciplinaries
- How to communicate effectively
- How to keep your organisation legally compliant
How to upskill your managers
We work with SMEs across all industries to upskill managers, giving them robust learning and development opportunities that will help your business thrive.
Contact us here: https://www.e18hteen50.co.uk/leadership-capability/ and let’s have a conversation to understand your challenges and requirements in more detail.
