The
Friendly-Factor
Creating a Work Environment that Attracts
and Keeps the Workforce
Gregory P. Smith
By year 2011, the
U.S. will face a worker shortage of 8-10 million people. In many
industries today, jobs are going unfilled. In should go without saying if
you cannot attract and keep your workforce then you must change what you
are doing or face the consequences.
Take your pick.
Which type of place do you want to work at: One that is cold and gives you
a sense no one cares, or one that makes you feel good and appreciated?
Money and benefits are important, but studies show in the long run the
work environment--the feeling they get when they come to work--is more
important in retaining and motivating people.
People like a
friendly place to work. The friendly-factor does not require a large
investment and expense, but it does require time and thoughtful
consideration. Take for example a construction equipment dealership in
Louisville, KY. Their turnover is almost nonexistent. This is quite an
accomplishment in an industry facing a shortage of 100,000 technicians.
Their employees and
service technicians share in a profit-sharing plan that could possibly
mean $700,000 upon retirement. They are eligible to participate after one
year and become fully vested after six years. No one has quit after
becoming vested in this company. To further help his employees, the owner
brings in a financial advisor to help the employees pick stocks, plan for
retirement, or to get advice on buying a house or saving for a child's
college education.
Other
friendly-factor benefits:
--Every year
employees celebrate their work anniversary with a cake. They also receive
$100 for each year employed, made out in a check so they can buy work
tools for the shop.
--Twice a year the
employees children receive a $50 savings bond when the child brings in
their "all A's" report card.
--They reward
employee safety records with what they call, "Safety Bonus Program." Each
employee's driving record is screened twice a year. Anyone who has a
citation during the year is removed from the program. At the end of the
year, the ones who remain get to split $2,000.
--To minimize the
we-they syndrome, every Friday employees rotate jobs. The person in the
Parts Department gets to be a service technician and visa versa. This
builds a stronger team and improves communication within the company.
Here are a few other
friendly-factor ideas to consider:
--Reward work
attendance. Set in place a "Potential Earned Bonus Account" for each
employee for a set amount, say $250 every six months. Every day an
employee is late, but called in to tell you - they loose $10. For every
day they are late and do not call in - they loose $15. Every day they are
absent, but call in - they loose $25. Every day they are absent and do
not call in - they loose $35. At the end of six months they get the
balance of the $250.
--During your new
employee orientation, make sure you send a welcome gift or letter to the
family of the new employee welcoming them to the company. Assign the new
employee a mentor to help them adjust to the new environment and make them
feel part of the team. After their first 30 days on the job, have a new
employee celebration and invite his or her family to attend.
--Be involved in the
important aspects of your employees' lives. You should respond when there
is a birth, illness, death, graduation, or wedding. These are the
important events where you have a golden opportunity to build a bond
between the individual and the company.
--One company
photographed each employee who had worked at the company over five years.
Then they put the photos on a wall for all to see. This small act built a
bond and showed the employees the pride their employer had in them.
--Have a "Bring
children to work day." A couple times a year allow your employees to
bring their kids and show them what they do.
Creating a
friendly-factor work environment takes time, and it takes managers who
truly care about individuals.
Click Here for the
Radio Interview: "Employee
Retention: "Labor
Shortage Won't Go Away"
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Greg Smith is a
nationally recognized speaker, author, and business performance
consultant. He has written numerous books and featured on television
programs such as Bloomberg News, PBS television, and in publications
including Business Week, Kiplingers, President and CEO, and the
Christian Science Monitor. He is the President and "Captain of the
Ship" of a management-consulting firm, Chart Your Course International,
located in Atlanta, Georgia. Phone him at 770-860-9464. More articles
available: http://www.chartcourse.com
