In the simplest form to which it can be stated, startups need to stop blaming employees for failed target audience reach and sales growth, making employees feel unimportant and thereby slashing or delaying payment of salaries as well as other financial entitlement.
This applies to employees who are not in the marketing department; that’s if you even have one.
Quite alright, most startups do not have enough funds to hire a marketer or build a marketing department, the focus is usually on hiring individuals who would build the product, and other tasks.
This leads them to consciously or otherwise place the job of marketing, customer search and increment of sales on these employees. In the real sense of it, should this be?
We know that all departments are to work hand in hand and be kept in the know about the various strategies in each department. In the absence of adequate communication, it doesn’t matter how well one department is doing, other departments can drag down efforts.
For instance, if the marketing department is implementing a strategy to increase demand, the logistics department should be carried along in order to make readily available, the drivers and vehicles required for delivery, and also the production department — in terms of raw materials and all that’s required.
Hence, it is important to allow focus be the builder. It is general knowledge that multitasking and working under pressure are good skills, but really, take a quick survey; how efficiently can one person handle several strong focuses such as administration, engineering, or marketing at the same time?
As a startup founder, marketing should be one of your priorities, it should not be placed beneath. So while you employ an engineer, employ a marketer or take up online marketing strategies if you can afford to get a person.
Making Employees Feel Less Indispensable
Why make a person working for you feel unimportant, giving them the impression that you can easily get someone else once they choose to leave?
One thing you should know is that if you do not make employees feel like they are part of the company, they would keep their eyes outside searching for a better job, continue doing their jobs in your company without optimum efforts and once an opportunity pops up, they are gone.
These days, people don’t even wait to get another job anymore, they also leave to focus on their mental health. Again, even if you pay employees well and treat them like trash, they still leave.
Rethink the atmosphere of your work environment, you don’t have to be overly familiar with your employees — commend them and correct them when necessary.
Lack of Prompt Salary Payment and Other Financial Entitlement
Most startups are either not paying enough or not paying promptly. This totally affects the morale of your employees and the efforts they put into achieving your goal.
One thing some startups do is; after blaming employees for poor target audience reach and sales increase, they slash their salaries or do not pay at all for a month or specific period. What do you think you are doing? You would keep losing employees within very short periods.
If you can’t afford to employ and pay marketers, it is better you collaborate with your existing employees on how to gain more customers and improve sales, rather than making them feel like marketing was stamped within their job description and they are not doing their jobs, whereas they are well focused and doing great in their department.
