Creating a workplace where staff feel valued, supported, and aligned with your business goals is key to long-term success.
Good staff management starts from day one and continues throughout the employee lifecycle (from induction and performance reviews through to a smooth exit).
Our Better Workplaces Employer Resource Kit (BWERK) is a comprehensive guide packed with everything you need to know about hiring the right people, keeping your workplace safe, boosting team culture and accessing essential support and resources. This toolkit makes it easy to find clear, practical advice without endless searching.
The BWERK is currently under review and some of its content may be out of date. For the latest and most accurate HR and/or WHS guidance, please refer to the Fair Work Ombudsman and/or WorkSafe Tasmania.
Why do you need to develop your skills as a manager?
In any business, your employees are your greatest asset.
Being an effective manager isn't an innate talent, it's a learnt skill that requires training and development and comes with experience over time.
By developing the skills listed below you'll be better prepared to create a thriving and productive team.
Areas of training that can be useful for managers include:
understanding people and different personality types
building and shaping effective teams
good communication
conflict resolution
negotiation
staff motivation
managing change
time management
For information on training options in Tasmania visit the Training and learning opportunities page with a range of courses that are available to help you improve your management skills.
How to manage staff
Clear policies help create a fair, consistent and respectful workplace.
They set the ground rules and expectations for behaviour, communication, safety and performance to minimise misunderstandings or disputes.
Whether you’re hiring your first staff or managing a growing team, having written policies ensures that everyone is on the same page from day one.
Some common policies to consider include:
● Expected standards of behaviour, teamwork, respect and professionalism outlined in a code of conduct policy.
● Work hours and attendance, including start/finish times, breaks and notification for lateness or absence.
● Leave policy, such as how to apply for annual leave, personal leave and other entitlements in line with employment law.
● Use of company equipment including expectations around the use of vehicles, company credit cards, phones, computers, email and social media.
● Health and safety, including safe work practices and how risks are managed and incidents are reported.
● Your commitment to a safe and inclusive workplace with policies to prevent and report any bullying, harassment and discrimination.
● Disciplinary procedures, including how misconduct or performance issues will be addressed .
Starting a new job can be a bit overwhelming, so a good workplace induction makes a big difference.
It's a planned process that introduces a new team member to your business and your people, policies and systems.
The goal is simple: make them feel welcome and help them settle in by answering any questions and explaining how things work.
An effective induction takes away some of that new-job nervousness and provides the information and tools a new employee needs to get started.
So, what might an induction include? It's all about a new employee getting familiar with their new environment and responsibilities. This could involve:
introducing them to their colleagues
showing them practical things like where the toilets and tearoom are
a health and safety induction which covers fire exits and evacuation procedures
providing essential details like after hours building access, passwords and log-on details
computer training for any internal systems required
something as simple as showing them where to park their vehicle.
Some organisations host a morning tea as part of their welcome. This can all make a big difference in how quickly and comfortably a new team member integrates.
When a new person joins your team, you naturally want to make sure they're a good fit for your business.
A great way to do this is by including a probation period in their contract. This gives both of you a chance to see if you’ve made the right decision.
Here's a good way to manage it.
Frequent check-ins early on: Meet with your new staff weekly for the first month. This helps them to settle in quickly and helps you to address any immediate questions, concerns or challenges.
Regular follow-ups: After the initial month, switch to monthly meetings for the next three months. These continued check-ins are an opportunity to check progress and provide ongoing support and guidance.
Open conversations: During these meetings, focus on an open dialogue. Ask the staff how things are going, listen to their feedback, and offer coaching or support wherever needed.
Track progress: It's helpful to take notes during these discussions. Jot down the key points and any agreed action items for either of you. This ensures clear communication and helps track progress throughout the probation period.
Retain recorded notes in an easily accessible employee file for clarity and future reference.
A probation period offers a valuable opportunity for both you and your new staff to assess if the role is a good fit and to exchange feedback for a successful working relationship.
If, after providing support and guidance, it still seems like things aren’t working out, you'll have documented proof of the steps you have taken.
A performance appraisal is an important opportunity to connect with your staff, assess their work, and understand their job satisfaction.
It's a structured conversation that can cover a range of important topics, including:
Constructive feedback: Provide specific feedback on their performance, highlighting both strengths and areas where there's room for improvement. It's crucial to acknowledge what they're doing well and celebrate those successes.
Checking in: Discuss how they're generally feeling about their role, their workload and the overall work environment.
Career development: Explore their career aspirations, including where they see themselves heading in the future and any skills or development opportunities they'd like to pursue.
This formal process often includes a salary review, making it a key moment for both recognition and planning.
To ensure its effectiveness, a performance appraisal should always be scheduled in advance and, ideally, conducted at least annually.
It's essential to keep a record of the meeting's outcomes, sharing these notes with both the manager and the employee for clarity and future reference.
We’ve created some templates to help you with this process:
Minimising staff turnover is vital for your business's long-term success.
It all begins with creating a positive and inclusive workplace culture where staff genuinely feel valued, respected and can use their skills and knowledge.
Keeping your team happy isn't just about offering more money. It also means creating opportunities to learn and apply new skills, investing in ongoing professional development and providing clear career pathways.
These, alongside competitive salaries and benefits, show your commitment to your staffs’ growth.
Providing regular, constructive feedback, offering flexible work arrangements, and truly caring about staff well-being (including their work-life balance) all contribute to a highly engaged and loyal team, ultimately reducing the costly impact of losing valuable staff.
When it's time to part ways with an employee, for any reason, it's crucial to approach it professionally and with a clear structure.
A respectful exit process can protect your business's reputation and ensure a smoother handover and transition for everyone involved.
When a team member leaves, they often have business-owned items like keys, laptops, uniforms or other equipment.
It's crucial to have a process in place to ensure all these items are returned before their final pay is processed.
An exit interview is a formal conversation conducted with an employee who is leaving a business, either voluntarily or involuntarily.
It typically takes place before or shortly after their last day of work.
An exit interview is a valuable opportunity to gain insights and identify areas for improving your business.
Employees who are leaving often share candid feedback about their experiences, providing an honest perspective that can be difficult to capture otherwise.
By gathering this information, you can pinpoint areas that may require additional attention and development, helping to make your workplace even better for current and future staff.
Here are a couple of templates to help you with this process that you can work through:
The Tasmanian Chamber of Commerce and Industry with support from Jobs Tasmania offer support services for managing staff and creating a positive culture in a workplace. They also offer support in the following areas:
creating and maintaining a mentally healthy workplace
assistance to attract new staff
tools and ideas on how to retain staff in your business for longer
advice and assistance to understand fair work and industrial relations requirements
development or review of human resource or workforce related policies and procedures including induction and staff performance reviews
workplace culture – building and maintaining a positive and productive culture in your workplace
advice and assistance on being recognised as an employer of choice.