It is no secret that when an opportunity presents itself, humans choose comfort over action. Evolution taught us to reserve precious energy and brain capacity for danger and times of need. 

This setup might have been helpful when hunting a mammoth or tending to a cave. And while being quite sophisticated and highly organized tasks, such activities are quite different from today’s typical 9 to 5. It’s been just a few centuries that we’ve been required to master new skills, learn new processes, and consistently output the same amount of energy every day.

Our brains motivate us to find shortcuts, skip steps, and cut corners. All those things present possible difficulties and dangers, especially in jobs that require precision and adherence to policies. So – how can an organization in the 21st-century help recruits follow expertly designed procedures?

Provide precise work instructions

Don’t fight evolution by overcomplicating your processes – if it is hard to understand, it is also hard to do. Creating straightforward, accessible and easy-to-follow SOPs is the key. When supported by exact guides and knowledge, our brains don’t have to spend energy and time figuring out each step and instead focus on the task. 

Treat workers with respect

Try talking to them about your policies instead of ordering them to follow. Make sure they understand the reasoning behind the procedures. Some are required by the law, some are unique to your organization to upkeep safety and quality.

Explain everything and get them on board. Be it workers or managers, everybody does a better job when treated with respect.

Communicate what happens if processes aren’t properly followed

Are there health risks? Is productivity at stake? Some outcomes are less drastic but still very relevant. Maybe not following a policy increase safety risk, makes your company less inclusive, or makes it harder to get a new customer. At the end of the day, it can negatively reflect your organization.

Don’t disregard questions or ideas

If someone questions your processes, don’t take it personally. Good policies make sense – show your employees your methods are meaningful. Use it as an opportunity to explain further or even use their feedback to improve operations. You’ll gain workers’ respect much easier.

Regular reports

Keeping records allows you to see the trends in your operations. Maybe products repeatedly come out faulty, or you are always behind schedule – reports help you analyze performance, find bottlenecks and implement changes right where it is needed.

Help your new recruits get on board with resco.Guides!

Now, all these recommendations may seem challenging to incorporate into your operations. But fear not, there’s a way to make the process easier, both for you and your employees.

resco.Guides is a knowledge management app to capture, standardize and apply tribal expertise.

It allows workers operating in highly specialized industries to be supplied with instructions, manuals, process descriptions, and potential risk assessments remotely.

Give your employees the information they need when they need it, and sign up for a free 30-minute demo today!