Editor’s note: This op-ed for Bus & Motorcoach News is written by James Blain, President of PAX Training, an online-based training and certification program.
Companies have to run to keep up when it comes to hiring, but making sure you have a plan to keep those new employees long-term is just as important.
According to Gallup, the cost of replacing an employee can range from one-half to two times the employee’s annual salary. High turnover can also affect the employees who stay with you by degrading morale and motivation. Left unchecked, runaway turnover will eventually lead to a revolving-door mentality that will erode your company’s culture and reputation.
Although we think of it as quitting a job, for many employees, the job itself isn’t what they are quitting. They are leaving managers who they don’t feel care about them and/or getting out of environments they feel are holding them back. The good news, though, is that you have control over how people are managed and the environment in which your employees work.
Employee retention isn’t a one-time checklist item; it’s a mindset and an ongoing process. At its core, it is about creating a healthy work environment and keeping your employees engaged. By being proactive, you can avoid common pitfalls and create the environment and management style that employees look for in long-term roles. To help you get started, here are seven things you can focus on today to help develop the cycle of retention in your company:
1. Share your larger purpose
It is no secret that people go to work for a paycheck, but beyond just getting paid, we all want to feel that the work we do matters, that we are striving toward something better, and that we have a purpose. Employees who are working for just a paycheck are more likely to do the bare minimum and eventually leave for another job.
However, employees who feel that the work they do matters and are working toward a larger goal are more likely to stay with a company long-term, even if they receive a job offer that pays more. If you want your employees to feel that the work they do matters, then you need to help them understand the larger purpose behind what you do and why it matters. Share with them:
- Your company’s mission and vision.
- Why the company was founded.
- How your company changes people’s lives for the better.
- Most importantly, help your employees understand how their role and the work they do fit into the big picture of your company.
2. Provide the training and set your expectations.
Just like anything else, retention is built on a solid foundation of training and expectations. Imagine how frustrated you would be to have the training to do the job, but not know what you’re expected to do. Or even the other way around, if you don’t have the training to do the job, but you know exactly what you’re expected to do.
Employees often find themselves in these frustrating scenarios. This often happens when owners and managers rush to get drivers on the road, CSRs on the phone, and dispatchers managing schedules. As a result, regular training and setting expectations get rushed or skipped altogether, justified by the idea that “I’ll teach them the basics and come back and do more training later.” But in an industry where something new is always calling our attention, that additional time is rarely taken.
Although you may be tempted to skip things or rush, the time you spend training and setting expectations will pay dividends in the long run. It will also ensure that your employees join your team with all the resources and tools needed to be successful. You need to ensure your training is:
- Comprehensive: It should prepare employees for what they can expect in their day-to-day work.
- Available: There should be easy access to materials during and after training. It should never be just one-and-done.
- Specific: You should cover things as they apply to your operation, not just broad general terms.
- Accurate: Outdated materials should be removed. When a process changes, your training should as well.
- Consistent – Everyone who goes through training should have the same experience.
- Timely – Training only helps if you have taken it before you need it. Training someone after they need it doesn’t help you or them.
Expectations do more than just let your employees know what their job role is; they also give them a way to measure what they are doing. Clear expectations should consist of:
- A job description
- Their responsibilities
- What is and is not acceptable
- Their place in your culture
- How their performance will be measured
3. Help them belong.
Few things are as emotionally powerful as a feeling of belonging and knowing your place within a team. However, the opposite is also true. An employee who feels like they don’t belong or aren’t part of the larger team is more likely to be unmotivated and look for another job. Helping new employees find a sense of belonging in your company starts when they are hired. Here are some of the ways you can help new employees find their place in your culture.
Company culture: Creating a company culture that is welcoming, inclusive, and values diversity is central to helping employees find their sense of belonging. You should strive for a culture where all employees feel like they have a seat at the table and are valued for their unique perspectives and contributions.
Mentors: Having a mentor can be beneficial for every team member. A mentor can provide guidance, support, and advice for professional and personal development. A mentor could be a manager, peer, or even another employee with more experience who can offer support.
Ongoing learning: Learning leads to personal and professional growth. It can take many forms. Ongoing training, such as the training that is included with PAX Training Memberships, can help professional growth while allowing your employees to develop new skills. At the same time, learning how to perform different roles within the company through cross-training can provide personal confidence and make employees more valuable to the company.
4. Focus on the people, not the work.
Zig Ziglar once said, “To get what you want, help others get what they want.” But in the high-paced, 24/7 industry we work in, it can be very easy to get caught up in meeting client and workload demands. It can also be easy to forget that every trip depends on the driver, office staff, and other people who make it happen.
Yes, the work is important, but you want to keep your employees’ long-term focus on more than just the work they do. Get to know them as individuals, learn about their goals and aspirations, and find out what makes them tick. Take the time to learn how you can help them get what they want out of their time at your company. The stronger your relationships with your employees, the better equipped you will be to help them grow in their role and keep them engaged long-term.
The reality is that when you focus on the people and not just the work, your company will be more successful. Happy employees lead to happy clients, which leads to a more successful business. It’s a simple concept, but one that is often overlooked.
6. Keep them excited about work.
Both you and your employees should be excited about coming to work each day. Engaged employees are more productive, more likely to stay with the company, and less likely to look for another job.
However, business, much like life, can be a rollercoaster filled with ups and downs. Like all relationships, the one that we have with work is fluid. It must be worked on and kept fresh. As an owner or manager, it is up to you to keep your employees excited about work on both the sunny and rainy days.
The best way to do that is to allow them to take on new challenges and responsibilities. Find ways to help them take ownership in not only what they do, but in growing the company. Periodically, you will need to help bring their larger purpose back into focus. In addition to this, you will need to learn what it is about the role that gets them excited, and why they wanted that role in the first place. Then it is up to you to rally them, find the excitement again, and keep their morale up.
7. Celebrate their wins and give them recognition.
When I was growing up, my dad would often say to me, “It only takes one oh-no to ruin a thousand attaboys.” This saying has a two-sided meaning. As a manager, your trust in even the most reliable employee can easily be broken with just one mistake. But, the same is true from the employee’s side. Just one negative interaction or line crossed by a manager can ruin all the good ones, causing them to try to avoid that interaction in the future.
This can be especially true when owners and managers fall into a squeaky wheel mentality and only provide feedback when something goes wrong. This can snowball, causing employees to shut down, stop communicating, and try to avoid interaction with management out of fear.
It is important to take the time to celebrate your employees’ successes, no matter how big or small. This could be as simple as sending them a quick message telling them you received positive feedback or just letting them know you appreciate what they do for the company. By acknowledging their wins, you are showing your employees that you appreciate their hard work and you are motivating them to keep it up. A little recognition can go a long way. So take some time each day, week, or month to celebrate the successes of your employees.
8. Be a leader, not just a boss.
When it comes to motivating people and getting the best out of a team, it is better to think of yourself as your team’s coach rather than a boss. Taking on this role, you will find that your employees are more engaged and motivated. They will also be more likely to look to you for guidance and direction, which can help prevent problems before they start. And, when problems do arise, you will be in a much better position to help solve them quickly and efficiently.
This role change will also help you avoid falling into the “boss trap” and forgetting that part of your role is the development of your team and their skills. This can be especially tough when you have a lot of new or inexperienced employees, especially when you feel that they aren’t living up to their potential. However, remember that as an owner or member of management, you are the team coach. Their success is your success, and their struggle is your opportunity to raise them up.
The cycle of retention
We all have different ambitions, goals, and areas in which we excel, and nobody likes to feel like they are out there on their own. At the core of employee retention is building relationships with your team and building a healthy working environment that they want to be a part of. It is an ongoing cycle, and you will need to constantly train, coach, and recognize your employees.
By following these simple tips, you can keep your employees engaged long-term. By building strong relationships, keeping things fresh, celebrating successes, and being a leader rather than a boss, you can create a work environment that is motivating and empowering for your team.
James Blain is the President of PAX Training, an online-based training and certification program.
