"You don’t build a business. You build people, and people build the business." —Zig Ziglar
This is one of the best lines I refer to when working with teams. It is so true that when you begin to focus on people, those people will carry and build that business. They will support you in tough times and good times. They will advocate for you, be your best marketing tool and so much more.
Yet one of the biggest challenges most companies face is trying to find team members. Furthermore, once you have them, retaining them is the key. This is a complex process that most companies are working hard to solve on an ongoing basis. There are some steps that you can take to start understanding and retaining your team members.
There is no one right way — every company’s team retention strategy can look different. Dive into what works for your company, team and area.
Talk with the people who have stayed and find the root cause of what keeps them with your business and maybe even the industry. Drive this discussion through one-on-one chats, pulse surveys, group discussions and more. This will give you a basis of what is working.
The reverse of this would be to discuss with individuals why they are leaving by building a process for conducting exit interviews. This information is important to understand what is not working. You may get "the grass is greener" entangled with the worst-case scenario; but it is important to listen and utilize this information to grow.
Once you have this vital information, build processes and training to improve your retention.
Another key to successful team member retention is to tie employees to something more than a paycheck — from building connections to your company, uniting them with a common goal, connecting through team building activities and many more.
A critical step that most take for granted is to consider what the employee is passionate about and what they are striving for. At the end of the day, the hard truth is that many team members need to work so they can pay the bills. Yet what most companies forget is that they can do that anywhere, in any industry — so why your company, why this industry?
What can set you apart from the masses? Building relationships. Sounds simple but it can be hard in practice, especially in our industry with so many variables at play.
If you are leading a team, you need to be tuned into each individual’s aspirations. Every level of leadership should have a focus on building relationships, and growing their understanding around the individual’s motivations, values, passions and aspirations to build strong connections.
First you need to ask the questions: What are their hopes and dreams? What do they value? What are they passionate about? What do they want to accomplish at work and at home?
Motivation may look different for each person. For some it could be to grow their skills within the company, while others are motivated by information and learning. Motivation can also be driven by outside factors. For example, someone is looking to settle down and buy a home, or maybe they need a new car or have a baby on the way. Insight into an individual’s motivations will help translate into what they need to stay and be engaged with your organization.
Reviewing values is a fundamental step in connecting with the team member. Understanding what they value in and outside of work is vital. Many times they will point out something you may not have thought would be important. You may have a team member who has a new family, so a consistent schedule is valued. You may have a team member who enjoys learning and may appreciate spending time with you or others that they can learn from. You may have someone who is retired who values less responsibility, a designated spot, benefits like a 401K. Understanding and supporting those values, when possible, translates into a strong relationship and connection.
Passion sparks the flame for most. Finding out what that individual is passionate about is essential to driving them to the right seat. If they are passionate about learning mechanics, this could be essential if you lack this skill within the organization. If someone is passionate about customer service, with the right training they could become a great account manager. Maybe someone wants to be engaged with the industry and would benefit from connecting with SIMA or peer networks. Understanding a person’s passion can translate into pathways and engagement.
Knowing all of this helps build a framework of what drives your people and their decisions, and what their motivations are without assumptions.
When and how do you start asking these questions? The first place you can start is in the interview! Before bringing on that team member, find out their goals, passions and what they value. If you hire them, the next crucial period is within that 90-day window. Typically, this is when you decide if this was the right hire — the team member is doing the same thing.
It is critical to have touch points of connection and show them the benefits of working at your company as well as in the industry. Show them a future that you and the industry can provide while asking those crucial questions along the way.
For those people who have stayed with you, a great place to start is 1-on-1 conversations. These intentional conversations will provide you and that team member with clarity of expectations, motivations, desires or goals and simply build a relationship for both parties.
All 1-on-1s should be frequent — not pushed to once a year or only following some type of critical situation. Some 1-on-1 strategies could include a formal review process, quarterly check-ins, and just simply striking up conversations. All provide a variety of connection points. Empower your in-field leaders to have touch points with their teams. These leaders are fundamental to driving this space of connection simply because they are the ones who most frequently interact with the crew. That leader should know what motivates individuals, be advocates for your business, and reiterate the ability to grow with the company and the benefits of working there.
If you’re thinking: "That’s a great process but I have some employees who only work snow/I only manage snow and do not see/talk to these team members regularly. How do I incorporate something like this?"
Great question! This is a problem that we face in this seasonal, stormdriven industry. How do you engage with a team member when they only work snow? We all know that feeling: you’re sitting on the phone crossing your fingers hoping that they will answer and will be returning for another season. This typically happens because you may not have touched base with them for a while. Therein lies the problem — when you’re away, they will be swayed!
Touch base with that person frequently. There are so many ways to build connections, from a phone call check-in, to text messages, invitations to company events, newsletters, training opportunities, involving them in preseason planning, etc. The simple act of contacting them connects them. Even if they are busy, it still speaks volumes that you are thinking about them. It lets them know they are not forgotten and, more importantly, they know they still work for your company!
Utilize this time to discuss the future: namely their desires or goals for the next season. You may gain insight into how they want to connect — maybe they want more training so they can be a lead operator or maybe they’re interested in learning how to handle customers. All of these takeaways build relationships and connections to your company in the future.
Now that you have built a relationship; understand motivations, values, passions; and are building those lines of connection, what’s next? For those employees you want to retain, you need to help provide a vision for the future and a build a path to reach that outcome.
1. Review all the different seats you have. This will look different for every organization. Envision the capabilities that you need or desire to grow and to be successful. Is there an empty seat? These seats might be positions needed now while others are forecasted based on company growth or even just a side project. This will help align pathways you have available immediately and the type of succession planning you require.
2. Review the type of person you have. Typically, you have one of three types: a) very eager, highly engaged, looking for more responsibilities and wanting to lead; b) engaged, looking to grow in time, and willing to lead but not as accelerated as the first; c) engaged, support the team and company but do not want to grow and/or lead.
Understanding this will help you align a strategy for that person. If the person is an asset to your organization and you want to retain them, you need to develop a path. For example, if a person does not want to lead but they want to grow, what does that path look like? Paths you could take could be growing their industry skills, engaging them more with industry organizations, helping them learn new equipment or sites, providing new challenges, engaging within the trainer’s space, discussing other avenues within the industry, etc. In most cases you have to think outside the box!
What if you cannot provide a path? I know we are talking about retention, but the reality is you may have a great employee but their passions/goals may not align with something you can provide.
Do not dismiss this opportunity to keep them engaged and connected because you never know what the future holds for them or your business. They can be a great resource, especially if they are learning new skills or trades that you may not typically have access to. They tend to be very loyal since you supported their future goals. They will also be great advocates for your business, recommending your company to others who might apply or even as a service provider to their new company.
If you want to improve retention, start by working on your relationships with team members. Understand what is driving them, their passions and their goals. Remember: most people need to work to pay the bills, but they can do that anywhere. Why choose you and why choose this industry? Keep people engaged, connected, and help provide a path for their goals within your company and this industry.
Jenny Girard, ASM, is client success implementation specialist for The Integra Group. Contact her at Jenny.Girard@TheIntegraGroup.com or 518-231-9748.