Hey There, Don’t You Get It? Your Employees WILL Leave You If You Don’t Take Care of Them

Again? Didn’t we go over this recently? Yup. I told my readers how to start down the road to prevent this. So, how come that last week, two different glass companies, from different parts of the country, called and wanted some advice on how to retain folks? In my consulting life I give the first phone call some free advice and then, after that, the meter starts ticking. Well, neither of these two companies went beyond the first few minutes because they disagreed with my program. Ethically, I can’t tell you who or where these calls came from, but we may just end up together at their auction in the not-too-distant future.

Quoting Bob Dylan from 1964, “The times they are a-changing.” I will tell you right now that at least 75% of our industry has a help wanted sign pasted in their window. You upset someone at your company and in less than a day he/she will have a new job. Now what? Don’t upset folks at your company!

That was easy and the blog must be over. (Well, not really … read on.)

People who work for you want to be respected for the job they do. This comes in so many ways. Pay the market wage or 50 cents or a buck more.

Give an excellent benefits package and don’t charge your folks a ton of money to take part in it.

And most importantly, respect your folks as members of your team and not as wage-workers who should thank you for their payroll check every Friday.

Have regular (monthly) meetings with your entire team and let them know what work is coming up and how they will be part of this work. Talk about new equipment or a new truck on order. Teach any new technologies coming your way and how that will improve safety and/or how it will improve the work flow. Talk about a company dinner or a holiday-time company party.

Enough of the talking … start to listen without interrupting anyone. Ask questions so that you completely understand what is being asked of you and then either answer the question to the group or make an appointment to speak with the questioner later today or tomorrow. You can also tell the group you want a week to do some homework and you will give a solid answer no more than a week out.

With few other details, listening is the key to your employee retention. If your employees trust that you have their best interests at heart (and they will clearly feel it if you don’t), they will be at work tomorrow. If they sense that you are giving them a line of BS, get ready to hang up your own help wanted sign.