Trade business owners know top employees have a multitude of choices, especially in the current Australian trade shortage.
If a tradie leaves your business, it’s tough to find a replacement. It takes time, money, and effort. In some cases, you might not even find a good replacement for months after your employee has quit.
How do we ensure our employees stay with us, for the long haul, to avoid this situation – increase retention.
There are 3 ways keep morale high:
1. Create a high level of trust
When someone agrees to be your employee, it’s usually a sign of mutual trust. You trust them to do the work you need done at a high standard, and they trust you to financially take care of them.
But, earning and keeping that trust is the important part.
If they say ‘yes!’ with absolute confidence – well done! Keep doing what you’re doing to keep their trust.
It is inevitable as a leader, that there will be occasions where you do something that violates the trust of someone on your team (you miss a deadline, forget to share important information, etc.). Sometimes you don’t even know an action you took or something you said violated trust. It’s important to ask.
2. Provide space to voice concerns and be heard
Part of earning trust includes giving your team a space to voice their concerns. If a team member feels they’ve been given an unrealistic goal, but can’t talk to you about it, you’ve created a recipe for resentment and employee turnover.
To ensure their answer to this question is, ‘yes’, spend a little time every week with your team in a group setting or one-on-one to simply listen to their ideas, comments, and concerns.
3. Commit to an employee’s success
The best employees are constantly learning, developing themselves, and reaching for their goals. Taking the time to ask your team how you can help shows you’re committed to making them successful both inside and outside of the workplace. It builds loyalty and trust. Importantly, it shows you care.
Larger companies like Starbucks and Disney might sponsor college courses. On a smaller scale, you can offer to purchase books, make introductions to industry leaders, or invest in short courses for your team to upskill.
This is just the start. Interested in learning more about hiring and retaining the best possible staff for your trade business?
What’s next?
- Join our Kick-Ass Tradies Facebook Group, for access to trade business specific conversations, tips and resources, plus a like-minded community of tradies.
- Book a 15-minute Game Plan Call with Andy, owner of Dr. DRiP plumbing and co-founder of Lifestyle Tradie, to clarify your priorities and get clear action steps.
