Staffing issues
August 17, 2024
by a searcher in Wokingham, UK
Hi all, I own a vinyl flooring company and Im trying to grow it in the uk. Problem is once I've spent two year training someone up, they leave to work for themselves. Any advice?
in Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA
The general advice I'd share is to take inspiration and operational hints from organizations who have dealt with this problem for a long time-- like software companies. And like most things in life, it's really about the people and the systems you have in place to motivate and support them.
More specifically:
- Read the book The Dream Manager by Matthew Kelly
I've not read it in years, but it's stuck with me for over a decade. He walk through advice on things like creating a dream manager program at your company and how and why this is so impactful for people who might never have experienced an engaged and communicative manager before. There's also specific guidance on how to approach people as individuals who have different personal goals than perhaps you have. Just lots of good stuff.
- Build a culture of trust
This sounds cliche, but the fact is that some of the best employees intentionally de-risk their career by working with people whom they both trust and admire. If you can give them trust and stability, you'll find that they are far, far more likely to stick around.
- Make your business attractive to the kind of people that stick around
Building a business is risky and some folks just aren't excited by that. Create an environment that rewards loyalty and stability over risk-taking and many folks of this type will naturally self-select. When you find those people, work your butt off to retain them.
I've been a bit wordy so I'll end it here, but I'm happy to add any details or answer any questions if there's an indication that folks would find it helpful.
in Chicago, IL, USA