9-Keys To A Better Business
"9-Keys" is an insightful series of "How To's" that addresses vital issues that any business owner can benefit from. They are:
1) SEEKING THE BEST-
PEOPLE
One of the most commonly
expressed wishes of the business manager is "How to find more good help."
Despite reported high unemployment rates in certain communities, the number of
competent, ethical, work-dedicated, and reliable people
is limited. How can you compete
for the best workers in an often-limited labor market?
First, try to make your business
as satisfying a place to work as possible. High wages do not necessarily make a
happy shop. Confidential interviews with thousands of workers in factories,
offices, warehouses, on construction, and in retail establishments reveal that dissatisfactions are rarely expressed concerning the issue of wages.
Most people agree to the value of
their own time when they first accept the position and its pay rate. They may
complain later that they are doing more than they thought was required; that
someone else who does the same amount or less is earning more; or that new
people are brought in at the same wage level that they have worked years to
attain. They are not complaining about wages but about injustice as they
perceive it.
Besides a sense of injustice,
another frequent item of dissatisfaction that leads to an unhappy company is
confusion. History has proven that most people would rather surrender their
liberties than have to face an unstructured environment.
A worker who is confused by
conflicting orders or insufficient direction will not be happy. To make a
company a place that will attract the best workers, responsibilities should be
clear and totally expressive of the task requirements.
The human physical needs must
also be considered. In an independent super market employing about 50 people,
there was a very high turnover rate and an inability of management to keep
sufficient cashiers to handle all the registers needed at peak periods. The
ladies' room which had three stalls was in a state of disrepair and had none of
the required supplies. The frustration and anger felt by the female employees
caused many of them to leave.
A few dollars invested in repairs
and supplies for the ladies' room could have saved this company thousands of
dollars in lost business, because customers were not being effectively served.
Make your work place the happiest place and encourage your own employees to
spread the word. The best workers will then seek you out.
After you have tried all these
conventional ways to get help, try making recruiters of all your employees.
Offer a bonus to each person who brings someone to you who can fill your
vacancy. The bonus need only be $25 to $50 which is just enough to encourage
your people to talk about what a great shop you run. Make it understood that the
bonus is only payable after the new person is satisfactorily employed at least
one month.
The next step is to sharpen your
selection procedures. Applicants who have terrific resumes, interview
effectively, and have impeccable references may not be right for your
organization. Each individual business has its own culture. A worker who has a
proven success record in one company could fail in another.
We have observed that most
business managers who may be experts in their field are not sophisticated when
it comes to evaluating potential employees. To employ the best people, utilize
every method to get every viable applicant to apply. Then utilize the most
sophisticated assessment tools and techniques to insure the selection is based
on a truly rational objective choice. Your business is only as effective as the
people you employ. By Gerard
Major
Mr. Major's firm Confidential Practices, Inc. offers free consultations. Their Web site can be reached by clicking here.
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