How To Get Your Team Committed To Your Company

Any sustainable business, particularly one which operates in the service sector, is always going to be built on the foundations which are the skills and expertise of its staff. As somebody who has been in recruitment for a number of years, I have always made a point of ensuring we have the best possible people with us, who are performing to their highest possible level.

As a manager if you have skilled and motivated staff who are completely committed to the cause and fully understand the aims of the business, then half the battle has already been won. I have always said that one of the most important jobs of a leader is to get everybody else to buy into your vision for the company.

There are several ways you can tell just how fully committed team are to the cause. Firstly you have to ask yourself: are your people willing to go that extra mile if and when the situation demands it? At the times, when the pressure is on, you need people to be willing to pull out all the stops and get a result.

Of course, if you have a high turnover of staff then you know that there is an issue or problem. At the same time, it’s always important to have some movement in the workforce otherwise complacency, paralysis and even negativity can very quickly set in.

For the sake of both the organisation and your team people need to be given the chance to develop and further their careers. In the recruitment sector a turnover of around 15 per cent would be acceptable; any more than that and there is a big issue that needs to be addressed.

But the true test of whether your team are totally committed is always going to be their performance. The more committed people are to the business, the better they will perform.

The importance of remuneration cannot be ignored; it stands to reason that if you want the best performance from people then you are going to have to pay them the going market rate.

Wherever possible I have always tried to link pay and bonuses to performance, that way the team will hopefully understand the importance of a strong and properly functioning business model. In other words the better the company performs the higher the personal rewards.

Finally it is the role of a team manager to ensure that his or her workforce is fully committed to the organisation. Ultimately the performance of a firm is going to be directly related to the dedication of the people it employs.

All leaders have to be capable of winning and maintaining team loyalty and have to ensure everyone is working together for the greater good of the business.

It’s no good just handing out orders, you also have to make sure people are willing to give their all and fully understand why they are being asked to do something in a certain way. Regular and clear communication is vital to ensure staff are fully aware of the aims and ethos of the firm.

I have never been a great believer in giving somebody instructions and expecting them to follow it blindly. You have to make them feel fully involved - remember the aim is to create a team that is pulling together in the same direction.

The Business Class with James Caan airs every other Monday on CNBC. For news, videos and details of repeat airings, visit The Business Class website