Goal setting matters to your business. Goal setting keeps employees engaged in the success of the organization. This process also helps employers increase their productivity. Here’s why goal setting matters to your employees and how employers can help keep their workforce striving to reach these metrics.
Keeping Your Employees Focused on Their Goals
Why Does Goal Setting Matter to Your Employees?
Setting goals can help employees feel more connected to the organizational mission as they see how their work contributes to the company's overall success. Goal setting is important for employers because it helps them clarify their priorities, focus their efforts, and measure their progress. It also helps employees feel a sense of accomplishment when they reach their goals and can motivate them to continue learning and growing. Finally, goal setting pushes the limits of employees, allowing them to develop skills and experiences valuable to their professional and personal development. How can you help your employees achieve these benefits by setting goals in your workplace?
The Society for Human Resources (SHRM) says not all goals will achieve these benefits. They say, “Annual performance goals that feel purposeful and attainable to employees can be a great motivator. But too often, goals set at the start of the year become obsolete by midyear.”
The idea, they insist, is that goals must be set with the employee, and they must be meaningful. Goals should also be tied to overall company strategy so employees understand how their individual contributions can help the overarching corporate goal.
Strategies to Help with Employee Goal Setting
Employers can help their workforce set and reach their goals by using these strategies:
- Work with the employees to set achievable goals that focus their efforts and increase their chances of success.
- These goals should also include personal career goals. Your mission, as the employer, should be to help your employees meet these goals in your company.
- Create a plan for reaching these goals, including breaking them down into smaller, actionable steps with rewards at every step.
- Track progress toward goals by regularly reviewing, documenting, and discussing the employee’s efforts.
- Seek feedback from employees and managers around each worker to create a 360-degree feedback look to keep them accountable.
- Look for common ground between company and individual goals. Look closely at how employee personal goals can contribute to overall company goals.
- Help employees stay motivated by setting rewards tied to achievable milestones. Also, set up a strong mentorship program to help your workforce stay connected.
- Make sure the employee understands their connection to the organization's overall mission.
- Throughout this process, stay flexible and understand your job is to support the employee as they strive toward success.
- Ask for help from managers, managers, or resources such as training programs to improve goal setting and rewards.
Looking for Talent That Want to Strive for Success?
Finding the right employee to collaborate with will help make goal-setting easier and more meaningful. If you’re looking for talent, look no further than People Plus. We offer a variety of talent solutions for employers just like you. Call on us today to find out how we can help.