Employee
Management: Becoming the Employer of Choice
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by Don Tyler
Some businesses have established a reputation of being a great place
to work, while others struggle to fill their staffing needs. Becoming
the “Employer Of Choice” in your area takes a consistent
focus on developing the image you want to portray. If you don’t
work to establish your reputation, then you allow hearsay and rumors
to do it for you.
Take a quick assessment of your current status. If your turnover is
high, the morale is low or your production is significantly less than
ideal, investigate these issues and begin processes to improve them.
It will be very difficult to create the image of an “Employer
Of Choice” if your turnover is extremely high or it is well
known in the neighborhood that your people are frustrated.
Talk to your employees and get their input on these issues. Make some
simple improvements to their work areas that show you care. Upgrading
the restroom facilities, improving break room areas, adding lighting
over work benches and putting down cushioned mats in standing areas
are just some ways to show your concern.
One of the first steps in improving your image is to assess your current
reputation in the local area. This can be difficult since many times
people will tell you what you want to hear, rather than be totally
honest. Talk to people you trust and ask them pointed questions about
how other people in the area see your operation, your management style,
and your reputation with employees and their families.
Your reputation with the people in local businesses is extremely important
to your image. You may be great friends with the bank manager, but
how do you treat the associates and tellers when you interact with
them? You may know the owner of the local convenience store, but what
do the attendants think about you and your business? What about the
waitress at the local restaurant?
These people all have an impression of you and your business, and
they tend to share that impression with other people in the neighborhood.
Unfortunately, we have no direct control over what other people think
or say. What we can do is be sure that when we interact with them
they see us as friendly, sincere, upbeat and courteous.
Your business image can be built through several deliberate actions.
One of the best ways is to give your people public recognition in
the local paper. Buy a quarter page ad that includes a picture of
all the employees with perfect attendance that year. Take a picture
of your long-term employees and run it with a story about their service
to the company. Publish a picture of your company picnic and ask that
it be included in the “Local Events” section of the newspaper.
Some local papers will run this information as a story so no advertising
cost is incurred.
Providing training to your staff is a critical part of your reputation
and provides employees with a sense that they are appreciated.
Your appreciation of the employee’s family is important as well.
Events that include family members once or twice a year can provide
a connection to the ownership and the company that will not occur
otherwise. Picnics, dinners, recreation parties, etc. are all worthwhile
endeavors.
One of the most memorable events that one of my clients did was to
have their regular Christmas party—and have the employees and
their spouses delivered to the party by a limo. They then pre-arranged
for the limo driver to go to all the employee’s homes and pick
up their children (and babysitters!) and take them on a ride through
the local town, with a run through the McDonald’s drive-up window.
They were the most popular kids at school for several days!
You can’t do everything that is suggested here immediately,
so pick two or three of them and focus on those for the next few months.
Having a great reputation in your local area will provide you with
a file drawer full of quality applicants waiting for the chance to
work for you. ©
For assistance with employee management issues, or for reference materials
on these subjects, call Don or review his management book, “The
Complete Guide To Managing Agricultural Employees ©” and
his new audio series, “Introduction To Communications ©”.
They can be reviewed at www.dontyler.com,
or contact Don Tyler; Tyler & Associates, at 765-523-3259
