Hiring great workers in your portable restroom business is one thing. Keeping them is an entirely different thing – and we all know retaining good people is essential for company growth and stability.
Why do employees leave?
There are many reasons people give notice. The most common include:
- Competition. Better pay and benefits in similar positions elsewhere draw employees away.
- Job attractiveness. Workers’ perceptions of a job can affect how long they stay. Things such as repetitiveness, challenge, danger, autonomy and perceived importance all play a role.
- Fit. Everyone is different. Personality traits, scheduling issues and conflicts with others can dramatically affect how long someone stays.
- Career path. Lack of opportunities for recognition or advancement lead workers to believe the only way to get ahead is to leave.
Encouraging employee retention
Lengthening staff tenure can positively impact both your business and your peace of mind. To do it you should:
Train. All employees need immediate training. This should include orientation to the industry, position and company, as well as job-specific training, safety training and customer service training. Employees who feel competent succeed in their positions more often.
Be fair to all. Employees want to work in an environment that is fair to everyone. Be careful to balance the needs of more seasoned employees you want to retain with those of new employees who are watching to see how things really work in your company. Giving preferential treatment to longtime employees in a conflict – or letting them control the schedule – can backfire if newer employees come to believe favoritism rather than fairness drives the day.
Communicate. Let employees know what is happening and make them feel they are part of your company’s successes. If you give direction, be sure to follow up afterward. Hold staff meetings frequently. Greet and talk with each employee daily, or as often as possible. Employees who feel connected and valued are less likely to leave over trivial issues.
Recognize and appreciate. Praise hard-working and committed employees for specific things done well. Give them a note of appreciation or gift card just to say “thanks.” Gestures like these let employees know their efforts are not going unnoticed and set the bar for others.
Offer pay raises and advancement. If you notice employees with consistently high performance, reward them. Even small pay increases or changes in title can be important to keep your best people on board. Remember: It is far less costly to increase the pay of good employees who stay than to keep hiring and training new ones.
Members of the Portable Sanitation Association International benefit from numerous resources that can help with employee retention. These include training and certification programs for service personnel, industry-level recognition, the PSAI scholarship program, and numerous ways for company leaders to share ideas and best practices on employee recruitment and retention. If you are not a member, join the PSAI today to take advantage of benefits the association offers your company.
