Get to Know Your Employees at This Often Forgotten Place

12 Jul, 2018

When was the last time you sat down for lunch with a member of your sales team? When was the last time you went out with the entire team at once? You probably have lunch every single day, and so do they, but if you’re like most managers, you tend to squander this daily opportunity to connect. Having lunch with your teams doesn’t take much time or cost much money, and it’s a good idea to sit down together at least once every few weeks — even when there’s nothing special or very exciting going on. Here’s why.

Shared lunches make managers more accessible and approachable.
Your employees may not seem shy on the surface, and they may not appear to be inhibited by the social or hierarchical gap between you. But even the lightest frost in the air can deter them from asking for your support when they need it. So warm that frost away and let them know — through your actions, not just your words — your door and ears are always open.

Shared lunches humanize us.

You may know a few facts and vital statistics about your employees based on what you’ve read in their personnel files — A has two small children, B is allergic to penicillin, C does charity work, and so on. And you may recognize their personality traits in broad strokes — X is reserved and standoffish, Y is cheerful and gregarious, etc. But do you really know your employees as people? And do they really know you? An occasional friendly lunch together can take your professional relationships to another level.

Shared lunches reduce turnover.

Lunch once a month hardly turns a co-worker or boss into a friend or family member. But it goes a long way — probably further than you might imagine. Simply liking the boss or feeling a general sense of affable regard for them can make an employee less likely to jump ship at the first sign of a new opportunity. Social ties run deeper than they appear on the surface, and forming new connections can be a challenge. Employees often stay put when they enjoy the culture of the workplace, and it doesn’t take much to keep that culture strong.

Lunches encourage engagement from those who would otherwise opt-out.

A few lunches can help eliminate the feeling that this is “just a job”. It’s healthy for employees to have a life outside the workplace, but it’s even healthier to have a life outside AND inside.

Lunches help you spot problems and opportunities from a mile away.

A simple meal can help you recognize hidden skills, latent leadership potential, growing personal stress, burnout, the spark of a new interest, or the blooming of a new talent before you otherwise would. Stay in touch and you can stay in control.

Work with the top healthcare recruiters.

Are you looking for the right medical sales professionals to join your team and build an awesome workplace culture? Turn to the medical sales experts at Buckman Enochs Coss and Associates today!