It’s rare for employees to go directly to the boss to complain about work. They fear that they might not have a job after. Complaining about work could be a sign of unprofessionalism, and they don’t want to receive such an accusation. Therefore, it’s a huge deal if you have a regular employee asking to meet with you and complain about work.
It’s a good sign
Before you freak out, you need to realise it’s a good thing that your employees are coming to you. It means that they respect you enough to come to you directly. They also treat you as a relatable boss, and they don’t fear to come to you to raise these concerns. You have to be thankful if they don’t hesitate about coming to you and have a real time employee feedback system in place will make you aware of any issues as they arise. Besides, the other option is to rant to their colleagues. You would rather see them discuss these complaints with you directly.
You have to calm down
Just because you receive complaints doesn’t mean you’re doing a terrible job. Sometimes, when you’re on top, it isn’t very easy for you to see what’s going on with everyone else. It’s also been a while since you worked as an employee. You have no idea when you’re already giving them too many tasks.
If you receive complaints, it means that you have to do something about it. You need to assess the questions and reflect on them. Don’t be defensive. You don’t have to respond by arguments. You can nod in agreement. You might realise that you’re wrong, and you have to change your attitude towards the distribution of tasks.
Ask for suggestions
When you don’t know how to deal with the problem, you might have to ask for recommendations from the employees. They can give you ideas on how you can make work more comfortable for them. Besides, they usually don’t ask for a relaxing job. They understand that they have responsibilities to fulfil. They’re only asking for a slight change in the job description so they can carry out their duties better. Besides, if you give them too much work, they end up becoming less productive. The quality of their output isn’t what you’re expecting. You would rather accept these changes by listening to suggestions. You could consider real-time employee feedback software, which can let employees request help from their managers at any moment, get timely advice and can increase engagement and retention too.
Take a break
There are also times when employees feel overwhelmed due to the nature of the tasks they have to finish. There are busy weeks, and they can’t manage their time well. After completing those tasks, they can take a break. Host activities that will make everyone feel rewarded.
An excellent idea would be to find fairground rides for hire. You can ask your employees to bring their family members. They will feel grateful since it’s been a while since they last saw their children. They want to spend more time with them, and this activity is a great way to do it. They don’t even have to take a leave of absence so they can fulfil their parental duties.
Your employees will respect you even more if you listen to complaints and hear their side.
