Employee management is the effort to help employees do their best work

each day in order to achieve the larger goals of the organization. There are
many tasks and duties that fall under employee management, but almost
all of them can fit into one of five categories:

1. Selection

2. Monitoring

3. Interaction

4. Reward

5. Discipline

Selection entails finding and hiring the right candidates to fill open positions
to keep teams and departments running smoothly.

How do companies manage employees?

Caring for your employees should be central to any employee management
system. This approach can take a few forms:

1. Caring about each employee equally.

2. Cultivating a stable work environment.

3. Ensuring employment security.

Show you care about each of your employees equally by offering the same
benefits to everyone. Get rid of executive parking spots and premium
health benefits that are only offered to the higher-ups. Show that you care
by giving everyone, from CEOs to interns, the opportunity to excel at your
company.

When considering your employees’ work environment, start with their office
space. Do they have enough room to work comfortably? Are they working
next to people they want to be around? Once that’s well-established, you
might also consider what your company’s location has to offer. Is there
access to quality public transportation? Will employees with families be
happy with their public school options? You want to do everything to make
the lives of your employees comfortable both inside and outside of work.

Employment security is on every employee’s mind. They shouldn’t have to

worry about losing their job after every performance review. Keep your
employees focused on the future by setting up longterm goals. Assigning
them special projects can also show that you trust their skills, so they aren’t
worried about seeming incompetent. And in times of hardship, many of the
top companies forgo lay-offs in favor of temporary pay cuts or hiring
freezes.

What is the best way to manage employees?

To develop an effective employee management strategy, follow these six
guidelines:

1. Be consistent. Consistency will help your employees establish base

expectations, and with that will come a feeling of security. Plus, most
other employee management skills in this list require consistency to be
truly effective.

2. Focus on clear communication. Concentrate on clarity, accuracy,

and thoroughness in all forms of communication. Be responsive when
an employee has a question. Remain transparent and honest.

3. Recognize and reward hardworking employees. Validating

employees in front of their peers will remind them that hard work is
rewarded and encouraged, and can help them feel motivated to grow
and improve.

4. Treat employees as individuals. While everyone should be treated

equally, recognize that the same managerial and motivational approach
will not work for every employee. Play to their unique strengths and
ideas. Employee management can help you take notes of strategies
that work for specific employees.
5. Encourage new ideas and opinions. Get as many people involved as
possible when discussing improvements for the company. Listen to
what your employees have to say, especially when it goes against
common consensus.

6. Be an example. Employees will look to their managers on how they

should behave in the workplace, for better and for worse. Strive to be
the worker you would want to manage, and your employees will follow
your lead.

How do you handle an employee with a bad attitude?

When you run into an employee who has an attitude problem, it can be
challenging to motivate them to try new things or adjust their behavior. If
they produce quality work, you might be tempted to just leave them to their
own devices. However, a bad attitude will negatively affect surrounding
coworkers, whose quality of work can take a nosedive.

Encouraging an attitude adjustment should be a top priority for these

employees. Follow this employee management process the next time you
deal with a negative employee.

1. Give specific feedback and examples. Don’t just tell them they have
an attitude problem. Point out specific behavior and how it has
negatively impacted their coworkers.

2. Give actionable advice. Explain how the employee should have

behaved in the situations you shared in the first step. Now they’ll know
what behavior is expected moving forward.

3. Recognize the good. Don’t make this performance review all about
how they can improve. Congratulate them if they’re doing a good job
and meeting deadlines.

4. Monitor their behavior and performance. See if the employee tries to

improve their attitude. Set up regular meetings with them to go over
their progress.
What is employee management?

Employee management refers to the organization’s efforts to support the success of its
employees and also help them meet the business goals for which they are responsible. It is a
function of the company’s HR or People Operations team. 

The goal of employee management is to help employees develop their potential and
maximize their contributions to organizational success.

Successful employee management consists of recruiting the right employees, building

relationships, and establishing a consistent employee management process.

Main employee management areas

There are a wide variety of tasks that fall under employee management, but key activities can
be organized into the following categories: selection, monitoring, interacting, rewarding, and
correction or disciplining. 

Selection

Selection, or recruitment, is the way in which organizations attract, screen, and choose top
talent for their teams. Selection is all about ensuring alignment with the mission, vision, and
core values of the organization. Selection includes posting role requisitions, approving
requisitions, collecting applications, screening candidates, interviewing candidates, making
and negotiating offers, and preboarding.

Monitoring

Monitoring — also known as performance management — includes providing employees

with the tools, resources, and feedback they need in order to perform at the top of their skill
sets. It includes conducting one-on-one check-ins, introductory evaluations soon after the
employee starts, and checking in periodically over the course of their employment to provide
real-time feedback to obtain performance insights.
Interacting

This happens every day between employees and their leaders. It’s how leaders communicate
organizational performance and reinforce policies, procedures, and core values. This aspect
of employee management also includes providing real-time feedback and getting to know
their employees as whole people. Interacting happens through email, face-to-face
interactions, team meetings, and more.

Rewarding

Rewarding refers to the ways in which we reward excellence in the workplace. This includes
awards, recognition, promotions, bonuses, and more. Rewarding can also include the ways in
which employees recognize one another for stepping up, helping out, and contributing to
the success of the team.

Disciplining

Finally, correction or disciplining refers to the ways in which we correct behavior or conduct
that has veered away from company standards of conduct. Disciplining might include
coaching, verbal warnings, improvement plans, written warnings, final warnings, suspensions,
or even terminations. These processes typically require a combination of centralized relevant
documentation and face-to-face meetings whenever possible.

Employee management benefits

Employee management means investing in team members and nurturing relationships

between employees and the company. Organizations with an employee management
program that offers employees the resources and support they need to perform well realize
a multitude of benefits, including:

Better role alignment

Employees understand exactly what’s expected of them. They don’t receive mixed messages
or struggle to meet undefined expectations because their role and expectations are clearly
defined.

A more diverse and inclusive workplace

Seeking and hiring qualified candidates that align with business values leads to a more
dedicated, diverse, and inclusive workforce because it attracts people who are most likely to
stay, succeed, and enjoy the work. 

Opportunities for employee development

Candid and useful feedback helps employees realize their full potential and avoid behaviors
or performance issues that hinder professional growth. 

Higher employee engagement

Employees have a strong desire to perform and take accountability for the organization’s
performance or goals, so they show up fully every day and do their best work whether a
leader is monitoring them or not.

Higher job satisfaction

When employees feel appreciated and valued, they are more likely to stay, to share word of
mouth referrals, and to represent the organization positively. As a result, turnover is
decreased, retention is increased, and productivity goes up. 

Better business results

Client satisfaction improves because employees are more engaged and satisfied with their
work.
 6 employee management tips

The most successful leaders integrate mission, vision, and core values into their daily
leadership and interactions, and connect with their employees regularly. They see their
employees as whole people and are invested in their growth and success.

1. Define expectations

Nothing impedes employee success more than undefined expectations. Leaders can support
the success of their team members by providing clear expectations from the moment they’re
hired. Employees need to know how often to communicate with their leader and, specifically,
what they’re expected to deliver in their first week, first month, and first quarter.

2. Establish priorities

Set clear priorities for new employees as they begin their careers in the organization. It’s
unlikely that an employee will develop proficiency overnight, so be sure think through
questions like:

 What should they focus on first? 

 Which proficiencies can they expect to have in the first week, month, quarter? 
Share those priorities with new employees so they have clear goals and know where to aim
as they settle into their roles.

3. Conduct performance reviews

Employees are hungry for feedback on their performance. They need to know where they’ve
been the most successful and where they should focus their efforts on growth in the next
weeks and months. Conduct regular performance reviews to ensure these transparent
conversations are happening as often as recommended or required.

4. Communicate clearly
 Ask new employees what kind of communication they prefer to determine whether to
communicate or interact in-person, via phone, email, or video call, or another method. Ask
questions like:

 What’s going well?

 Do you have the tools and resources you need to perform your duties?
 What can I do to better support you?
 Do you feel welcomed and integrated into the team?
 Do you understand what’s expected of you?
 Where do you see yourself in one year? Five years?
Communicate frequently and clearly, and invite them to ask questions as well to ensure that
communication flows both ways. 

5. Improve employee engagement

Engage employees by:

 Keeping mission, vision, and core values at the forefront.

 Learning more about their goals and helping them see their potential within the
organization.
 Encouraging opportunities for teambuilding and friendship.
 Ensuring competitive pay and benefits programs.
 Providing flexibility whenever possible to allow for optimal work life balance.

6. Be an example

Employees look to their leaders to model the behaviors that are expected of them. The single
most important step leaders can take is to live out the mission, vision, and core values of the
organization in their daily interactions.

How to manage a difficult employee

It may be intimidating to challenge employees that may not be performing well or reflecting
company values, but calling those employees to greatness is a critical component of
successful leadership. 
 Create an action plan 

Having honest conversations is easiest with clear processes, structured tools, and ample
training to equip managers with clear policies and designated resources. Working with
business or HR leaders to create a clear and standardized action plan helps managers feel
more confident when managing difficult employees and ensures that managers are
supported so employees are best supported as well.

Provide feedback

Employees who aren’t meeting expectations may benefit from candid and transparent
feedback about their performance. When providing feedback, follow this feedback
framework: 

 Refer to company policies or performance standards that are well-established and easily
referenced.
 Be clear about what behaviors are and aren’t meeting expectations.
 Diffuse tension by providing constructive feedback in a way that offers an opportunity for
improvement.

Set expectations 

Provide challenging employees with clear assignments, due dates, and measures of success.
Make sure the employee knows what they will deliver if they’ve successfully met your
expectations.

Monitor performance

Keep an eye on employee performance and hold regular conversations with employees who
are struggling. Take time to celebrate successes and wins, and be sure to provide feedback in
real time when a behavior or skill doesn’t meet your expectations. 

Provide the employee with clear action items to drive improvement. Work with them to
better understand and develop an action plan for what employees should do in order to
improve their short- and long-term performance. Schedule a follow-up meeting to re-
evaluate and, if all goes according to their improvement plan, reassure the employee that
their behavior and performance is back on track.

Key tools for employee management

Using the right tools can help you standardize and improve employee management across
your organization. Some tools — such as HR process automation — offer teams a range of
features and customization options to create an employee management process that works
for them. 

Employee scheduling

Employee scheduling can be complicated and time-consuming, especially for leaders

managing many direct reports. Scheduling software can automate not only scheduling, but
shift changes, requests for time off, and timekeeping metrics for convenience and maximized
productivity.

Task management

Task management modules can help you streamline due dates for common HR tasks:
performance evaluations, check-in conversations, and more. You can transition from creating
manual calendar reminders to a visually appealing dashboard with system alerts when
deadlines have passed.

HR forms and self-service portal

HR ticketing system can automate employee forms and give employees access to change
their own address, direct deposit account, phone number, and more without paper and
without involving an HR business partner except in an approval role for the workflows you
designate as requiring approval.

Employee self-service portals alleviate managers, directors, and HRBPs of transactional work
so they can focus on the transformational work necessary to drive business results.
Employee directory and database

Employee directory functionality gives employees the ability to look up coworkers, better
understand their relationship with the organization, and contact them at their work email
address or extension.

Database software allows you to keep all employee data in a single system of record: name,
address, dates of service, date of birth, etc. Your HR team and managers can have
customized access and never have to dig through paper files to find the important data
points they need.

HR automation

HR automation software automates laborious HR processes like filing documents, data entry,

and more. This frees up time for HR teams to focus on strategic and transformational work
that has more potential to impact the organization in a positive way.

Electronic signatures

Having a system in place that supports electronic signatures makes it possible to move to
completely digital forms. This means no more paper files that can get lost, are disorganized,
and lead to data entry errors.

Custom HR workflows

Within your HR department, you likely have workflows. Perhaps a manager drafts a final
warning, HR reviews and provides feedback or approval, and then the manager delivers it, for
example. HR systems allow you to build these customized workflows and then automate
them instead of sliding papers under the door and waiting for them to show back up under
another.

What is an employee management system?

An employee management software organize information related to employee management.

This type of system can help your organization get rid of paper documents, paper files,
 calendar reminders, and phone calls by automating all aspects of employee management
according to organizational policy and procedure as well as industry best practices. 

Employee management systems might include:

 Document storage and management (electronic personnel file).

 Workflow automations for approving requests or reviewing candidates.
 Integration with timekeeping and payroll systems.
 Custom forms dashboards for instant, real-time insight into business metrics — like
minorities in leadership or employee reasons for leaving — that can be used to improve
culture and employee engagement and retention. 

Streamline your employee management with Pipefy

If your employee management systems are still being managed and run via spreadsheets,
various disconnected softwares, or across paper-based processes, you may be experiencing
common challenges like incorrect or misplaced employee information, siloed communication
with collaborators, and delays in processing or approving requests due to time-consuming
rework and repetitive or redundant tasks. This ultimately takes away time and resources from
the people that matter most: employees. 

With Pipefy’s low-code process automation and management solution, streamline and
automate employee management processes for maximum engagement, productivity, and
efficiency.