Ali Beheshti, CEO @ Zealie, on Employee Improvement

Every entrepreneur wants to hire employees that will help their business to the fullest. However, once those employees are hired, many business owners forget about them and assume they will continue the good work for years to come. What many employers do not see is the opportunity placed in front of them. Many employees are coachable and willing to learn and grow, but their bosses do not utilize their talents. If you’re looking to hire new employees or want to help your current ones improve their strengths, this is a great plan to start with.

Month 3 — Identify Strengths and Weaknesses
When an employee has been at your company for three months, you’ll want to sit down and have an honest discussion about their strengths and weaknesses. See what they identify, and bring to the table anything you’ve noticed. This is also a good time to bring up strengths outside of their role, which may still be helpful in some capacity. Then, look at ways to increase cultivation of the strengths, while supporting the weaknesses, too. This may mean taking internal (or external) classes or workshops that utilize their strengths. It could also mean pairing up employees with opposite strengths, so they can work solely on the tasks they are great at.

Month 6 — Sink or Swim
Six months in, you should have a great idea of whether an employee will fit in and do well at your company long-term. If you provided an employee with opportunities to improve their strengths, while supporting their weaknesses, they should be doing well in their position. If they are not, now is the time to seriously consider whether they should be on your team. You may need to run through a few training modules again, or pair them up with employees who excel. Or, you may need to consider parting ways.

Conversely, if your employee is thriving, now is the time to take their position to the next level. There are plenty of small projects your employees could work on, from helping train new employees to giving an office-wide tutorial on best organizational practices. Ask them if they have ideas, but also suggest any you think would be beneficial for the team at large. Make sure they are passionate about the project, as a special project will take some extra effort. Then, have them begin planning out their project and preparing materials over the next few months.

Month 9 — Project Goes Live
After three months of preparation, now is the time to let your employee present their project. Make sure they have your support beforehand, and express praise after they follow through. If all goes well, your employee should feel like they have grown individually, as well as alongside the team.

Month 12 — Total Evaluation
I’ll keep this point short. At one year, most companies give a formal evaluation to each employee. Just make sure to touch on their successes. If you do not have positive things to say, this is another time to re-evaluate whether the employee should be at your company.

Improving your employees’ skills is valuable not only for your company, but also for the employees themselves. Take the time to follow an improvement plan like this one, and show your employees that you care about helping them become the best they can be.

Ali Beheshti is a highly experienced entrepreneur with knowledge in a multitude of industries. He is the CEO of Zealie, a Revenue Cycle Management platform. Additionally, Ali is a founder of Healing Path Recovery, a Behavioral Health Center in Huntington Beach, California. For more information about Ali, visit his website, alibeheshti.com.