By Cara Jenkin

Being in with the boss is one way for a worker to get ahead – and now managers are urged to get to know their staff better for their business to succeed in 2012.

Leadership Management Australasia says the job satisfaction of workers, skills shortages and staff turnover are three of the biggest issues to surface for businesses in 2011.

So leaders and managers who get to know their people better in the next year will be more likely to hang on to their staff, increase their performance and build their company’s productivity.

Its New Year’s resolution for managers comes as a survey by recruitment firm Randstad reveals two-thirds of the workforce do not believe their salary accurately reflects their performance.

The survey also found that 46 per cent of workers had expected a pay rise by the end of the year.

LMA chief executive Andrew Henderson says managers usually focus on business operations rather than people but understanding what makes their staff tick inside and outside of the workplace enables them to help their staff reach goals and perform better on the job.

“There’s a lot more to the individual than their title and job description,” he said.

“What gets them excited and puts their sparkle back in their eye?”

Randstad chief executive Fred van der Tang said a worker’s salary and career path would be top of mind for many in 2012.

“Considering Australians have been relatively conservative in their demands during the recent wave of economic uncertainty, as we look to enter a brighter 2012, many are considering their options with regards to remuneration and their career,” he said.

Beerenberg managing director Anthony Paech said that having a good relationship with his staff was essential to the success of the Adelaide Hills business.

He said that managers needed to know how people tick because how staff fit together affected the way they worked as a team.

“Also, you need to understand them beyond their work,” he said.

“It helps to have an appreciation of their family and home life. When people are not performing, it is nearly always because of problems outside of work.”