(FS8) Keeping the Employees You Want in Your Franchise

You’ve built your amazing team and they’re trained, now how do you keep a hold of them? One of the most important things you can do as an employer is to appreciate your employees. By respecting them and giving them a happy place to work, you have a much better chance of retaining them. Another important part of keeping employees is remaining organized and in control. Prioritize what needs to get done and keep it consistent. Be clear and consistent with your expectations and keep your employees well-informed of any changes. Treat them as people, relate to them, and treat them with as much equality as you would a customer. The second you stop showing your employees respect is the day they start getting tired of you and looking for other jobs.

Job Diversity

Another great way to maintain your employees is to give them duties that they aren’t used to every now and then. This will extend their knowledge and training while also keeping the job diverse and interesting. You don’t have to ask them to do something clearly out of their available range or anything that needs special training in order to switch things up for them. In fact, here are some tips for keeping your employees jobs diverse and exciting:

• Allow staff input when you’re developing a schedule.
• Don’t play favorites and be fair.
• Make their work days challenging. Don’t make the jobs harder, but make sure the challenges have rewards.
• Post the schedule ahead of time.
• Provide performance reviews. This isn’t a chance to take a shot at your employees, but to tell them what they’re doing well and to help them become a better version of themselves.

• Remove the hassle of the day. This doesn’t mean you have to take away any difficulties, but ask employees what jobs or procedures seem obnoxious or anything that could be made easier and take suggestions.
• Rotate boring and routine jobs.
• Treat employees with respect.

Regardless of what you do, you will still have employees that will leave for one reason or another. They might not have thought you were a great fit, they might have taken a job with better benefits, they might be making huge life changes that don’t permit them to stay with you (such as moving). Never take an employee leaving as personal or let it slow you down. Even if you lose an important member of the team, thank them for their service and bring in a new member who will be just as reliable and strong as your last.

Fostering a Good Work Environment

An important way to retain employees is keeping a good work environment for everyone. Customers aren’t the only people that you have to worry about keeping happy at your franchise, but your employees should be happy too. How do you do that? There are a bunch of ways to provide a good working environment for your employees, but here are some things to start with:

• Encourage employees to speak up about their concerns or problems in the workplace.
• Establish and enforce policies on anti discrimination.
• Follow the franchisor’s safety and security guidelines.

Continue Reading from The Franchise Series 8

• Hiring, Training, and Other Staff Decisions in Your Business
• Different Legal Issues to Consider For Hiring in Your Franchise
• Successfully Interviewing For Your Franchise Business
• Things to Remember During Interviews at Your Franchise
• What Comes After the Interview in Your Franchise
• Being an Effective Leader for Your Franchise
• Training Your Team to Work in Your Franchise Efficiently
• Making Sure Your Franchise Follows OSHA Rules