3 Tips for Staff Retention
One of the biggest struggles facing pool and spa companies today is the difficulty of retaining staff. If staff retention is a common problem for your pool business, the off-season is a great time to plan and put together a strategy for holding on to qualified employees. We’ve outlined three ways you can combat high turnover and set your business up to for a higher retention rate.
Develop an Onboarding & Training Process
Whether you’re hiring salespeople or service techs, it’s important to ensure that each new employee receives the comprehensive training they need at the beginning. Although this can be a challenge during the busy season, it will save both you and your new employee a great deal of time and frustration in the long run. An unprepared new employee is far less likely to stick around than one who has received adequate training and has a better understanding of what’s going on. Put together a process to follow with every new team member to ensure they’re ready to go.
Listen to Your Employees
Because many pool and spa companies are family owned and operated, it can be very easy to manage with blinders on. However, it’s crucial that your employees feel valued and heard if you want them to not only stick around but do their best work. If an employee brings you a fresh new idea that could benefit your company, take into consideration. Even if an idea or a pitch from an employee isn’t particularly good, let them know you appreciate them thinking proactively about the company.
Help Employees Develop & Grow
In a perfect world, every pool company could promise their employees unlimited room for career advancement. While this isn’t always possible with smaller companies, you can stay committed to your team by continuously helping them add to their skillset. This could be by simply teaching them more advanced skills or, if it’s within your budget, sending them to trade shows. If an employee shows an eagerness to learn and improve, do whatever you can to facilitate that.