Wake Up Before They Go Go …

You can thank or curse me later for the earworm, but for now, please read on for some ideas on how to keep your RV employees content and productive. Learning the RV business is highly specialized, and for the people who chose to work at your dealership, the learning curve is high — as can be the rewards. If you are experiencing more people quitting the business or switching their allegiance to your competition, it’s time to look at the whys as well as the hows to keep the people you want.

People leave for many reasons, and the only way to understand why is to ask. While that can feel very uncomfortable, it’s important to know what caused someone to want or need to leave your organization. Many of us dislike confrontation. But asking someone why they are moving on doesn’t need to be a negative conversation. It can be simple honesty: “I appreciate you and your work ethic and am just wondering why you’re leaving.”

Of course, if you had issues with that person, they may be leaving because they picked up on your dissatisfaction with them.

Looking back on my many years working in retail, I realized that I left jobs either because it was time for more responsibility, my (then) husband was transferred to another state, or the person or some of the people I was working for were making me unhappy. I was never asked why I was leaving. If I liked and respected the person I worked for, I told them what was going on. If I didn’t, I kept quiet. Had they asked, I would have been honest about the overt sexism or disorganization leading to chaos, or the alternating nice/angry boss where I was constantly walking on eggshells. Only one man asked me why I was leaving my job as visual merchandising manager as he thought I was doing a great job. I told him that moment was the first time since joining Macy’s that I heard anything positive or negative about my work. Had I thought I was appreciated, I wouldn’t have been looking for a new job. But it was too late for Macy’s, and I happily moved on.

When millennials were joining the workforce years ago, I remember people complaining that they wanted too much feedback and praise. That was a wake-up call for anyone who was listening. If you appreciate your employees (of any age), let them know.

Showing Your Appreciation

In my research for this column, I found some creative ways managers showed their appreciation. One manager with a team of 10 people personalized the employees’ paychecks. Even if your employees get direct deposit, this can still be done via email or actual notes. “I have a small unit of 10 reporting to me. I write a personal note every two-week period, and it goes with their paychecks. Every two weeks it forces me to think about something I noticed and appreciated. I’ve gotten great feedback on that!”

Another manager would quarterly ask her team to submit someone else’s name and an accomplishment that impressed them. She read over all the accomplishments and gave a day off to the award winner. It gave her a chance to see achievements she didn’t know about, plus it gave everyone a chance to recognize their teammates.

One dealership created a “wall of fame.” Every time any employee received a letter, email or positive call from a customer, it was framed and put up on the wall. The manager also gave that employee a small gift certificate, but the framed letters meant more than the gift certificate. Customers enjoy reading the letters, and it helped internal relations as well.

Time is precious and time off can be a highly appreciated gift. When someone goes above and beyond or makes a great sale under difficult conditions, time off (to be determined by need, desire or appropriateness) can be highly motivating and a great reward.

Stress can cause colds, flu, stomach issues — all sorts of miserable reactions to anxiety. If you have an employee that seems to be constantly ill, it makes sense to sit down with them to discuss the possible reasons for their illnesses. It’s worth looking at what may be stressing them out and weakening their immune system.

Everyone reacts to stress differently. That doesn’t make them a better, worse, weak or strong employee — they are just human. You can ask about their stress level and if it’s work related. If so, discuss how their stress could be lessened. If they are unable to do their job, perhaps it’s a work/life balance issue or potentially some extra training would be a good investment in them and for your company.

Investing in Employees & Work/Life Balance

I have discovered that far too many people are thrown into jobs with little or no training. Then, when they screw up and/or stress out, they are perceived as unintelligent, high-maintenance or unworthy.

No one can psychically figure out your systems, desires, needs and processes — these require training. Even a highly experienced sales or service person needs to learn what your dealership requires.

Good training sets your employees up for success. Inadequate or no training with expectations of “learning on the job” sets them up for early failures.

Work/life balance is an issue that impacts many people. When we stop and think about our life, it is our families, health, friends and spirit that give our lives meaning. Our work takes up a good percentage of our time and gives us the money to live, but without joy in our work, it saps our energy.

Look at what you are promoting at work. Are you a workaholic? Do you promote and reward workaholism? Do you expect your employees to work every weekend? Do you hold numerous early morning or early evening meetings? Do you compliment employees for working long hours — or for the quality of work they perform?

Flexibility is key to creating a positive work environment. We can’t just let everyone do what they want to do all the time, but you can be flexible when it’s important to the person.

And yes, some people will try to take advantage of your kindness and flexibility. You need to find your balance with that as well.

An astute manager will view work/life balance and stress reduction as smart and strategic business tools rather than employee perks.

When people feel heard and appreciated, and have balance in their lives, there is a far greater chance they will work harder, produce more and be loyal to you and your dealership.

If you have found successful and positive ways to retain and encourage your employees, please share them with me, lindacahan@gmail.com, and I will incorporate them into a future column.