7 Ways How Managers Can Build the Confidence of Their Part Time Workers
A number of skills come together to make the best part time workers. Good time management, team work, proactivity and organization are just a few of them. One skill that we may neglect is confidence.
Confident employees communicate more effectively, they are assertive and they can project the right brand image to customers. When they deal with customers, they convey assurance that the company will do what it promises to do.
While some may think confidence is innate, it is a skill that can be improved and managers have a role to play in building confidence in their part time workers.
1.Take the time to provide feedback
As a manager of part time workers, one of your most important tasks is to evaluate work and give feedback. This includes both positive and negative feedback.
For this feedback to work as a confidence booster it should be given at the right time and it should be constructive.
If someone does a good job, point it out and mention exactly what they did right. This will be more meaningful than a blanket ‘Good job’ and will show the employee what they need to continue doing. Likewise, if something is wrong, mention where the employee went wrong. If this is done, your workers will get information that is needed to make them better at their jobs.
When it comes to giving negative feedback, consider doing so privately. There are few situations where an employee will benefit from being criticized publicly. Pair negative criticism with solutions that employees can use to improve and you stand to see an increase in confidence.
2.Appreciate your employees’ efforts
Build the confidence of part time workers by appreciating their efforts. Recognition and praise doesn’t just help your employees walk with their heads held a little higher, it increases their morale and motivation.
When giving praise, make it personal to the individual. While one employee may appreciate public praise, another may prefer a thank you given in a one on one meeting.
Just like with praise, give employees a gift that suits them. This should be something they will use and enjoy and not one they will just pass off to someone else.
3.Acknowledge improvement
Nothing builds confidence like having gotten a bad review and turning it around. After giving a negative review, keep an eye on the employee’s progress. When you notice improvement, point it out and this will give your employee the boost they need to do even better.
Acknowledging improvement can be extra beneficial for employees who are uncomfortable or extra sensitive about negative feedback. It can create room for them to take a closer look at their mistakes and view them as learning opportunities.
The benefits you reap from acknowledging improvement can be replicated even in the future. Employees will know that receiving a negative review is not a bad thing, rather it leads to them doing even better work.
4.Welcome feedback
The first 3 points have all been about managers giving information. Another way managers can build the confidence of part time workers is to welcome their input. When part time workers are free to give feedback they feel like valued members of the team. This leads to improvement in productivity, engagement and better customer service.
Create an environment and systems that enable workers to share information with you.
Seek your employees’ input before implementing new measures at the workplace and they are more likely to embrace them. You can get feedback through regular one-on-one meetings, group meetings, a good old fashioned suggestion box or anonymous surveys.
Making room for your employees’ input on their schedules and their feedback on your performance as a manager will result in more confident part time workers.
5.Give workers challenging tasks
Doing the same level of work day in and day out can result in loss of morale and confidence. Show employees you trust them by giving them more challenging roles.
To prepare them, give your part time workers incrementally more challenging tasks to help them build their skills. According to research, harder tasks are a good way to improve retention and learning. The feeling of accomplishing something they have never done before will be a confidence builder for your employees.
6.Provide support through training
Managers can help to build the confidence of part time workers by availing training opportunities. If you notice an area where an employee can improve, recommend them for training, refer them to an online class they can attend or pair them with a more experienced colleague.
When employees have the skills necessary to do their jobs well, to meaningfully contribute to their teams and the entire organization, their confidence is sure to go up.
7.Help them build self-awareness
Some people are great at things that others may struggle with. This is only natural. To build the confidence of part time workers, help them become more aware of their strengths and weaknesses. By knowing what these are, your employees will know where they will excel, where they struggle and how they can improve on if they like.
Plus, knowing what you are good at can help you be kinder to yourself when you run into challenges in a given area.
This awareness can be gained from an evaluation with their manager or even their peers. Such evaluations can make people feel vulnerable or judged but if done with support and kindness, employees will receive the results in the spirit of improvement they are intended for.
While personality tests are criticized by some schools of thought, others find them to be valuable in helping people understand themselves better.
Conclusion
Confidence is an important skill to have in the workplace; confident employees are better able to take risks and make decisions. In addition, they are an asset to team mates and customers alike. This is why managers should play an active role in building the confidence of their part time workers.
