Focus on talent and development to grow your business

When Wim Joosten stepped in as managing director at education company Jegro, the business was not in good shape. Turnover was falling sharply, the product range was outdated, and customers and employees were dissatisfied. Yet Joosten got this company back on track together with the same employees. How did he do this?

According to Joosten, the most common complaint among employees is that their company does not see or use their talent. He estimates that only 40% of employee talents are actually used. “And that is a waste for the company and the employee,” he says. Joosten has experience at different companies as an entrepreneur, director, and consultant. His key insight: “A company grows if you and your employees together are willing and able to take that extra step. But for that to happen, you must give them freedom.”

Dissatisfied employees

The company Jegro was losing money, and its product range was old. Both customers and staff were unhappy. Joosten joined as managing director and began looking at employee development. “From my entrepreneurial experience, I knew that productivity is higher when employees are happy. And employees are happy when they get to do what they like and when they can learn. So, I gave the staff already working there the space and confidence for growth. This created self-confidence and initiative which improved the product offering and service.” The result? More international sales, new customers, and higher turnover.

Three tips to grow your business

Joosten’s 3 tips will ensure growth for your employees and your business.

  • Any initiative is good, regardless of the outcome. If someone comes up with an idea from a good angle, always explore it further. Do not reject an idea immediately. Appreciate every suggestion. This way, you encourage employees to keep showing initiative.
  • Without creativity, you have no chance. Encourage creativity and make time for it. If you do not invest in the development of your company and/or staff, your company will not improve or stand out. So, spend time on brainstorms and ideas, even when you know it may not yield results straight away. 
  • Focus on quality rather than efficiency. An idea or improvement should deliver something, but make sure value for the customer is more important than efficiency.

Make space for development

Give your staff room to develop, Joosten insists. “Otherwise, your business will fail.” But how do you give employees the space? “Get to know who works for you. Show genuine interest and ask what makes someone happy. What someone does in their free time. And then involve everyone in all company activities, even if they don't belong to their role. For instance, I discovered that a sales assistant had an educational background. I appointed her head of education and gave her responsibility for running that department.”

Meer dan 100% omzetstijging per jaar en internationale groei van Ferr-Tech

The head of production was interested in the pre-production process and product development. “This employee then also became a product developer and was allowed to pitch a product idea and prototype every year.”

Besides spending time on development, normal work must also go on. “Have employees exchange tasks with each other,” suggests Joosten. “And look critically at which tasks really contribute to customer satisfaction. Is this not the case with a task or project? Then get rid of it. Or ask employees which task they themselves think is unnecessary.”

Formal and informal adjustment

In small companies, development is not always recorded. Joosten: “Of course, you can make a Personal Development Plan, but I find that in companies with up to 25 employees, most discussions take place on the shop floor. So, explain already at the job interview that the company works with an open culture. I am open about my private life, so employees also feel it’s okay to ask questions or share problems. That way, you quickly discover how staff want to grow or, on the other hand, if they are bored.” You evaluate agreements in a performance review so that you both know whether development is going as hoped.

Responsibility

Involve your employees in increasing customer satisfaction. “Take employees to the customer or organise brainstorming sessions with them. If your staff get to know the customer and what they experience when using your service or product, they can come up with ideas or improvements.” Joosten gives an example, “I regularly organised brainstorms together with customers and teachers. After which the employees themselves decided which improvement they were going to work out. They did not need to have any knowledge about this. What was important was that the idea contributed to customer satisfaction and that the employee took responsibility for its implementation. How the person did that was up to them. This is how self-confidence is created.”
 

Appreciate it when employees are critical of your work or company. It is precisely then that your company gets better.

Mistakes do not exist

Giving and receiving feedback is necessary for growth, Joosten believes. “Let employees give each other feedback and sharpen each other's work. This means that employees must look beyond their own tasks and thus learn from other functions and departments. The advantage is that in this way you pick up feedback from different functions and you increase engagement internally. Be clear that feedback contributes to business growth, and that it should be given safely. And that mistakes do not exist when someone does something with the right motivation. In that case, only learning moments exist.”

Joosten says he and other directors, executives, or entrepreneurs should also receive feedback. “Appreciate it when employees are critical of your work or company. It is precisely then that your company can get better.”