Unlock the Secret Sauce
Unlock the Secret Sauce: Cracking the Code to Employee Retention
Finding and keeping talented employees is crucial for the success and growth of any organization. ?Employee retention is multi-faceted.? You not only need to attract and hire the right employees, but you then have to retain them.? If you get this one part of your business correct, it will increase your bottom line more significantly than just about any marketing campaign.? The first step is to select the right people.? Are you attracting and hiring rockstars?? ?
As Baby Boomers are exiting the workforce into retirement, many management and ownership roles are being assumed by Gen X.? Millennials and Gen Z (teens to early 40’s) are making up the bulk of the workforce and likely the ages you are hiring (and marketing to).? These 2 generations currently make up 44.7% of the US workforce and in the next 6 years, Gen Z will add about 24% to that number.? This is a huge demographic shift.? Perhaps it’s time to look at your business and see if you are adapting appropriately.? Your culture, management style, and technology must adapt to attract and retain the best talent.? These generations are different and have a much different focus and priorities than the previous generations.?
In general Millennials and Gen Z are typically digitally fluent and tech-savvy. ?They are multi-taskers who get bored if you don’t challenge them.? They have a short attention span because they are adept at quickly processing and absorbing information.? They are naturally social and like to interact with people.? They are creators and collaborators and are future-focused.? They value independence, equality and diversity in the workplace and they have a strong desire to do good in the world. ?93% of Gen Z say that the organization’s impact on society affects their decision to work there.? They value work-life balance and opportunities for career growth.? Here are some tips for working with Millennials and Gen Z.?
In many markets, employers must now compete for the best talent, and you can bet that if you have some stars on your staff and you aren’t investing the time and money to keep them, other businesses will.? When looking for rockstar employees, one idea is to create special business cards that you can hand out to employees that you encounter at other businesses who offer you an excellent experience.? It’s simply a business card that lets them know that you recognize that they are offering excellent service and that if they are ever out looking for additional or different opportunities, they should contact you.? Also, be aware that there are other companies that are doing that same thing with your employees.? If you are not working to keep your employees happy after they are hired, they WILL leave.?
After you find, recruit and hire the best employees, your job doesn’t stop there.? Now you have to retain that talent.? A good wage and benefits may attract candidates to apply for a job, but that is not why they will stay.? Employee retention will have more to do with the culture you create rather than the pay scale.?
Job satisfaction will increase your retention rate. ?Here are a few things you can do to increase that retention rate with your rockstar employees.?????
1.?????? Make your employees feel like an asset to your company
Don’t make them feel like a number or an expense.? Get to know your employees personally and greet them by their name when you see them.? Let them know that you know who they are and how they contribute to your company.? Treat your team the way that YOU would want to be treated, not necessarily the way you WERE treated when you had your first job.? Just because you walked up hill both ways to school, doesn’t mean that your employees should live the same experience.??
o??? Give compliments - Don’t miss an opportunity to give a compliment and lift the spirits of your team.? Make sure it’s sincere, but don’t hesitate to compliment an accomplishment, new hairstyle, etc.
o??? Smile - A smile can go a long way and costs you nothing.? This can set the mood and reminds them to smile when talking with your guests.?
o??? Say “Thank You” - genuinely.? Remember they have a choice and they choose to work for you.? They choose their attitude.? They choose how to treat your guests.? Thank them for the time and effort to choose to work for you.? Show appreciation and gratitude. Look them in the eye and even shake their hand.
o??? Choose your attitude - Your energy and attitude is contagious.? As a leader, you set the tone for the day.? If you come to work in a bad mood, the likelihood that your team will have a bad day is fairly high.? Come to work with high energy, positive, filled with excitement, and everyone will follow suit.
o??? Give high fives - Not only give your team high fives, but encourage them to give guests high fives as well.? Human touch is known to have a positive effect on attitude.
o??? Be a good listener & make eye contact - Nothing shows respect like a good listener.? When you are talking with your team, show genuine interest in what they are talking about.? Ask questions and show interest in the answers.?
o??? Mingle - Take time to make your rounds.? Visit your team.? Make sure not all of your visits are negative.? Avoid this time to micromanage or criticize.? You don’t want your team to cringe when you come over because they think you will only criticize them.? ??
o??? Offer to help - Often employees will bring personal issues from home.? Sometimes they just need someone to talk to and other times you can make a meaningful impact.? Did they just lose their apartment and you may know of someone who needs a roommate?? Make a connection.? Refer them to someone that can help.? Listen to them.?
2.?????? Communicate expectations and goals clearly
Most employees really want to please their employer.? Clearly set out and explain the vision of the company and your expectations of the employee.? Don’t talk AT them, but talk with them about this.? Take time to explain the “why”.? A few extra minutes to help them understand the reason “why” you are asking for them to do something will make a huge difference in your outcome.? If there are performance changes that need to made, don’t expect this to happen via osmosis.? Coach your team.? Find out if they truly understand what is expected and why they are being asked to do these things.? It’s YOUR job to motivate them not just boss them around.???
o??? Be on time - This shows that you respect the time of others including your team and vendors.? Lead by example.? If you expect your team to be on time, make sure you are setting bar.?
o??? Show, Teach, and Live Integrity - Discuss what integrity means - doing the right thing even when no one is looking.? Lead by example and show integrity all of the time.? An employee finds $10 on the ground in the arcade and they come tell you about it and ask you what they should do with it.? What do you tell them?? There are integrity lessons that come up every day that give you a chance to set an example and teach what integrity is all about.?
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3.?????? Create an open and honest work environment
Open and honest conversations and communication need to happen between you and your employees.? Give them honest feedback.? Be open to and try new ideas.? Get their input and listen to them.? Seek out and accept suggestions for solving problems.? Ask them about rules or changes that they feel need to be made and actually listen to them.? Encourage goal-setting and let them make their own choices as often as possible.? Don’t always insist on the process to the outcome being done “the way it’s always been done”.? Give them the expected outcome for a task and allow them to figure out how to get there.? Afterwards, have a discussion on how it went.? The more that employees feel ownership in what they are doing, the more loyalty you create.???
o??? Get in the trenches - Do some basic tasks.? Nothing will gain the respect of your team quicker than them watching their boss scrub toilets or take out trash.?
o??? Go above and beyond - Set an example.? Make sure your staff sees you go above and beyond to assist guests, fix problems, help fellow team members and they will do the same.? Remember, they are always watching you and following you.? Make sure you are walking the line that you want them to walk, because you are leading them and they are watching each of your footsteps.
o??? Deal with trials & tribulations with grace - Knowing how to lead people through hard times is a skill.? Don’t sugar-coat difficulties.? Don’t be afraid to communicate unpleasant news or information about problems or set-backs.? Keep your team informed.? Trust in your team to help you.? Be transparent and honest but be encouraging and optimistic as well.
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4.?????? Provide growth and learning opportunities
Nobody wants to be in a stagnant job where they don’t feel like there is a path for growth.? There are some entry level jobs in our industry that may have limited growth, but there are things you can do to provide challenging and stimulating work.? Look for individual’s passions and try to tap into those areas.? Find out what they enjoy and focus their energy on those things.? If you have someone who loves photography, recruit them to help you with some marketing efforts and have them capture some great photos.? If you have someone on your staff that loves social media, help guide them into social media for business and get their help with your social media marketing efforts.???????
o??? Certifications - Offer various levels of certification on tasks.? Create basic and advanced certifications.? These could be skills like attraction operations, money handling, POS operation, floor management, etc.? Create a written and practical test for each certification level.? Employees with basic certifications could earn a certificate and would be “certified” to operate or work in that area.? Advanced or master certification, would get them something special, like a special pin or something to collect.? This gamifies the job skills for team members, who like earning the recognition and it gives them something to work towards.?
o??? Tuition - Consider offering tuition assistance for continuing education classes.?
5.?????? Recognize and reward your employees
Of course, monetary bonuses are always nice, but we can’t always afford this nor is it always the most motivating reward.? Sometimes, a small monetary bonus would actually diminish the recognition, if the value turns out to be less than they believe the effort was worth.? It’s hard to determine when and how much money would be appropriate.? Recognition of a job well done doesn’t always have to be monetary.? A “good job!” goes a long way.? Employees who feel undervalued or unappreciated tend to look for other employment, so to retain the best talent, it’s important that you get this right.? Give sincere feedback and praise to your employees, when they deserve it.?
o??? Create a “brag board” where employees are publicly recognized for various things.? Each brag could also earn a ticket, which they could save up and put in for a quarterly drawing for cool prizes.? The more “brags” they earn, the better chance they would have to win a prize.?
o??? Scratch Tickets - Hand out scratch tickets that have various prizes.?????
o??? Make Coffee and deliver it to your staff - Get to know your employee’s coffee preferences and go the extra mile to not only make a pot of coffee, but deliver a cup to them.? It’s a small gesture that goes a long way.?
o??? Leave a note - Leave a note on the company whiteboard or corkboard or any employee area.? Leave something inspirational, fun, or funny.? Make sure not all of the notes you leave are about details of work.? Sometimes you just need to show your fun side and encourage your team to do the same.
To recruit and retain the best talent, choose candidates that are the best fit for your business culture and values.? Understand what is important to employees in order to retain them.? Create a development and coaching culture.? Foster an environment of open and honest communication.? Long gone are the days of annual employee evaluations.? Millennials and Gen Z require shorter term goals with checkpoints and more communication throughout the year.? And above all, many are driven by how things “feel”.? They need to feel that their job serves a purpose that is more than increasing the bottom line.? They need to know “why” they are doing what they are doing, and the reasons need to be compelling.? Monetary gain is not a sufficient reason.? Make sure that your vision and mission in your business not only spells out a deeper meaning and reason for “why”, but that your company culture also reflects that reason.? If you can provide that environment, you will attract and retain amazing team members, who in turn will increase the bottom line.
Employee retention doesn’t have to be expensive.? There are little things you can do to boost morale and in turn, boost productivity, that will cost you very little.? Your employees are the driving force of your business and if they aren’t happy and aren’t enjoying their jobs, that will directly affect your customers.? These things have a direct effect on customer service and satisfaction, but you will save money in reduced turnover.
While everything listed here will make an impact on your team, the impact will be negative or non-existent if you are not sincere and genuine in your approach.? Be a servant leader.? Continually strive to be trustworthy, humble, caring, and empowering.? See yourself as a listener, leader, and coach.? These are just a few things you can do that will push your company to the next level.? Inspire and lead your team, give them the tools, and they will do the heavy lifting for you and will drive sales.? Steve Jobs once said “It doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do”.? Hire right, build an amazing foundation, coach and encourage, and let your employees take you and your business to the next level.?
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