Managing Skilled Employees

When you manage skilled employees you have to consider the difference between their investment in the company you run and in the way they think and interact with their employer. Skilled employees may want a bigger say in how the company is run. You are the owner of the business, but if you provide the opportunity for the input of your skilled employees you will probably find plenty of ways to use their recommendations.

Some skilled employees will be logical choices for managers but others prefer to use their skills at a technical level or detailed tactical level and they do not have the skills to manage people.  

Do not assume that a skilled employee would be a good manager. The management of people is a different skill than the skill set they possess that caused you to hire them in the first place. Unless you have interviewing and hiring someone as a team lead or manager, you should not presume that a skilled employee has people management skills.  

Skilled employees are people, just like any other person. Employee recognition, employee skill development and a good employee skill assessment program will ensure that you can keep and develop your most skilled employees and that is a worthy goal. Once you invest the time and training to incorporate the skilled employee into your company, the loss of that employee will cause significant disruption and delay the completion of projects and tasks.

Many skilled employees, like developers and programmers, prefer to work as a temporary employee under the terms of an employment contract as they get older. They can jump into projects and provide a valued resource without committing to the culture or environs of a particular employer. If you can use contract employees, you may be able to gain the use of these skilled employees without spending the money on health care benefits or employment taxes. Consider this for short-term work like limited-life projects and teams. Working with a skilled employee using an employment contract is also a good way to judge their skills and fit before you make an offer to hire the person.   

Because the skilled employee knows that you need their skills, you cannot treat them as if they are disposable. They know and you know that it will cost you money to replace them. If you can treat the skilled employee as a partner and reward them for their contribution with compensation and other perks to motivate performance and reward achievements, you will find it easier to attract and retain the skilled employee.