There are many steps involved in creating a successful technology team. After you’ve collaborated with a specialist recruitment company like Flow Talent to find your ideal candidates, you still need to make sure that you’re creating an environment where your employees can thrive.
A dynamic, supportive and collaborative workplace ensures that your staff feel appreciated and happy with their careers. Engaged team members are less likely to leave your company for an alternative position, and they’re more likely to go above and beyond to achieve business targets.
If your employees aren’t achieving their real potential, the problem may lie with your company’s team culture (or lack thereof). Here are the 5 most common mistakes around team building and how to avoid them.
Lacking Clear Vision
Without having clear goals for your business or steps and structures in place for how your team can achieve those goals, your company isn’t very likely to succeed. However, in order to build a successful technology team, you have to clearly and consistently communicate those goals to every member of your team.
Everyone should understand what the long-term objectives are on your company’s roadmap for success. Great technology leaders define their vision carefully so that others can understand what they are striving to achieve. When formulating or fine-tuning your vision, it’s also important to ask for and consider ideas from those around you. Working together, your team can navigate the complexities of the business, establish a direction and set priorities.
Not Giving Employees a Voice
Once you know what your goals are and what the team can deliver, ensure that you establish a culture of collaboration. The more accessible you are, the more comfortable your team members will be in coming to you with key concerns that need your attention. By using an inclusive approach to problem-solving, you can build trust and allow people to feel like they can take calculated risks, often resulting in more creative, innovative solutions as well as more engagement and job satisfaction.
Communication is a crucial part of any successful workplace environment. However, successful communication isn’t just about being able to explain long-term goals and short-term objectives and tasks to employees. Technology leaders also need to listen to their team members.
High-performing employees in the technology sector want to know that their contributions and ideas are recognised and valued. If your employees don’t feel like they’re making a difference, their motivation will suffer. Make sure that everyone has an opportunity to voice their ideas in your team meetings, and that every suggestion is given the respect it deserves.
Inadequate Training
When filling the gaps in their team, many Technology managers search for candidates who can excel in a role without any additional training. However, it’s worth remembering that your employees will have personal and professional goals that they want to accomplish, as well. Offering development plans is just one of the ways that you can show your staff that you’re invested in their future.
Professional development and career advancement opportunities attract more high-performing talent to your team by showing them that there’s room to grow in your organisation. As the technology sector continues to become more competitive, investment in your employees’ training and development will also encourage them to stay with your company.
Giving Criticism Without Praise
To succeed in technology management, it’s essential to develop a decisive strategy for approaching delicate conversations in the workplace. While it’s never easy having difficult conversations at work, being afraid to deal with specific issues can lead to a pattern of avoidance and problematic manager-team relationships.
Constructive criticism is a great way to help technology employees grow. With feedback from business leaders, people know where they need to work on their skills and improve their learning strategies.
However, it’s essential to balance criticism with praise as often as possible. While it’s essential to offer constructive feedback when necessary, it’s equally important to recognise and praise your employees’ achievements and successes.
Unrealistic Expectations
Once you’ve recruited the right people for your technology team with the support of a specialist recruitment company, it’s natural to have high expectations of them. However, it’s crucial not to place too much pressure on any single member of staff.
Ensure that line managers are delegating tasks responsibly by considering the strengths and weaknesses of each individual on your team. While challenging your employees is a great way to develop their skills, over-challenging them can lead to unnecessary stress and a lack of motivation, which ultimately leads to turnover.
Having an open-door policy for anyone who feels too stressed at work is a great way to reduce the risk of employees burning out because they have too much on their plate. One way to keep great employees is by letting them know that they can come to you if they feel overwhelmed by their workload.