How To Ensure Employees Follow Procedures—Without Babysitting Them

Employees want the freedom to do their jobs without someone breathing down their necks. For some, it becomes burdensome when they have to follow strict and established procedures. In a workplace where procedures haven’t been used before, it’s hard to introduce it.

Here are some simple ways to ensure employees follow your established procedures without you babysitting them:

1. Write your procedures down.

Assumption (they say) is the lowest level of knowledge. And as humans, we can only recall so much. What this means is that just instructing your employees to follow verbal procedures is ineffective. When your procedures are written down in a way that’s easy to understand and implement, you automatically remove the opportunity for excuses.

2. Re-tell employees why procedures are necessary. 

If your procedures are perceived as “extra work,” employees won’t take them seriously. Give your employees a deeper reason to adhere to those procedures. Let them know why you have procedures, make sure your employees know how important the procedures are to your overall success.

3. Make your procedures easily accessible. 

The last thing people want is another 300 page manual full of procedures and “things to do.” We’re in the digital age. You already use software to manage and engage your employees so instead of making them follow rules from another thick book, make your procedures are easily accessible to every employee—both online and offline.

4. Reward compliance and guide stragglers. 

Recognizing and rewarding correct behavior is a great motivator for employees. Don’t restrict your reward system only for times when employees meet certain results. You can reward them just for following the procedures. How? Checklists go hand-in-hand with procedures. With checklists, an employee can simply tick off a certain task in a procedure after it has been completed. An un-ticked step in a procedure shows what was happening. Checklists don’t lie.

Procedures can be an important part of a successful company. Helping your employees understand the relevance of the procedures to your overall goal and mission as a company will them take ownership of the business. You won’t have to breathe down their necks to ensure they’re following instructions.