By Jeremiah Jones, CALSPro Dispute Resolution Chairman, Bosco Legal Services, Inc.
When I stepped into a management position within my company over 15 years ago, we had high turnover, low morale and our companies’ culture was borderline toxic. Recognizing that this was a serious problem, over the years I have taken numerous steps to combat this, and we have made (in my opinion) a 180-degree turnaround. In no way do I think that I am the perfect boss or that my company is the perfect example of how to run an organization; however, after having been in the legal support industry for well over 20 years and having been in a leadership role for the majority of that time, I have learned a few tips/tricks that may be of some benefit to members of this organization.
Now that the worst of the pandemic appears to be behind us, businesses all over the nation are struggling to find employees to fill a wide variety of positions. Many businesses are offering signing bonuses and offering significantly inflated wages, in order to attract employees, even for low skill, entry level type positions.
With that in mind, I have compiled a list of some of the things that we have tried over the years, to help create a company culture where our employees want to stay working for us, and where they don’t just show up for work, but they thrive. I have loosely categorized some of what I feel are the most significant things that we have implemented, into 4 general categories.
Work Environment
- Keep your office furniture, décor, etc. nice and in good repair
Make your office a place that your employees are proud to show up to every day. For many years, our office was in a building that was drab and full of mismatched/rundown furniture. About five years ago, we moved into a nicer building that had some color on the walls and we purchased matching furniture. Our office location is not upscale by any means, but our work environment does feel more professional and has helped instill a sense of legitimacy regarding our business, in the eyes of many of our employees.
- Purchase good quality company shirts
While we had gotten company shirts sporadically over the years, they were generally cheap and they looked worn out after only a couple of washes. We also only purchased them for select staff members (generally only public facing). Several years back, we started buying higher-quality shirts that will last for years, and we offered them to all employees. Now we regularly have employees wearing their company apparel, and many have expressed a sense of pride in being able to wear them.
- Avoid yelling or talking down to employees
There are times where it may be a real temptation to lash out at an employee, such as when they made a poor decision which ended up costing the company money; however, management frequently lashing out is one of the reasons that morale was so low when I took over in a management role. I have found that while I may be upset and frustrated at a member of my staff, by calmly explaining the issues and ramifications rather than yelling, my staff is more inclined to listen and take corrective action moving forward. Additionally, this has led to our employees being less afraid to bring up or to own their issues, rather than trying to get defensive or to pass the blame onto others.
Everyone wants to feel like they are important and that they make a difference. Don’t treat your employees like they are just a cog in the wheel of the company; rather, treat them like they are an important part of your team. As a business owner, that starts with you and how you treat your managers. Model for them how they should treat their staff by treating them that way. It has been my experience that employees who feel valued are far more likely to take ownership of their positions and to perform at a higher level.
- Talk with your staff
Take a few minutes out of your day to simply say “hi” to one or two of your employees and to get to know them. Make them feel as though you truly care about their wellbeing and that you are interested in who they are. I go through spurts where I get busy and I am not always the best at doing this, but when I do, I have found it to be very effective in getting to know my staff and to help keep morale high.
Empower
- Don’t be afraid to solicit employees’ ideas and to implement their suggestions
While I may be the “boss,” that doesn’t mean that I have all of the best ideas. In fact, I have had more than a couple of bad ideas over the years. Over time, I have learned that by soliciting ideas and suggestions from my staff, and then by implementing some of their ideas, they are far more likely to buy into the mission of our company and they also tend to develop a sense of pride and ownership for their ideas. I have found that our employees who are working in the trenches frequently can have some of the best insights into problems and into how to best address them.
- Don’t micromanage
Take the time to teach your staff the right way to do things and trust that they will do a good job. Of course, there will be hiccups, but I have found that employees who are thoroughly trained and treated fairly, will thrive in their positions and step up when needed.
- Allow your managers to make decisions… and then trust them
Managers and supervisors are put in their positions for a reason. Over the years, I have learned that I simply can’t handle every issue or problem that will arise within my company. I will always take the time to counsel or to talk through challenging decisions with my managers and supervisors and even offer my opinions and my reasoning; however, I will (almost without exception) leave the final decisions for their departments up to them. It was hard giving up that control, but I have found that it was the only way that they were able to really grow in their rolls. And ultimately, I don’t want to be the one making all of the decisions for every last thing in my organization, and that’s why I promoted my managers and supervisors to their positions in the first place.
Give Back
- Provide coffee, soda, snacks, etc.
This may seem like an unnecessary expense to some; however, I was blown away by the positive response that we got from our staff a few years ago when we started doing this. Sure, it costs us a little money every month, but it’s a little perk that goes a long way with our employees.
- Monthly lunches
Getting a free meal is a big deal to many people. Based off of a suggestion made by someone in our organization, we started ordering lunches (or the occasional breakfast) for our staff on the first Friday of every month. We rotate between the departments on what we are going to eat, in order to give everyone a chance for input. This has been a big morale booster for our staff.
- Activities
While the pandemic put a pause on this, we love providing opportunities for our employees to participate in fun activities. Over the years, we have gotten season tickets to various local sports teams that we will pass out to any employees that want them, we will rent out suites at sporting events and allow them to bring their families, we have done a murder mystery dinner, bowling, Medieval Times, etc. It is important to me that my staff knows that as we succeed as a company, we try and spread it around so that everyone can enjoy the benefits of our success.
Recognize
- Recognize employees for a job well done
Whether through an email, a mention in a meeting or just in passing, let your staff know that you notice when they go above and beyond or if they did an especially good job at something. Just about everyone loves to feel noticed and appreciated.
- Plaques or mementos for years of service
I love having employees that want to be part of our organization long term, and so a few years back, during our annual holiday party, we started giving our employees a plaque for hitting milestone years of service (i.e. 5, 10, 15, 20, etc.). The employees appreciate being recognized and I love walking around the office seeing that many members of my staff have them on display.
- Money/gift cards
While money isn’t everything, none of us would be coming to work if we weren’t getting paid. While some companies may have policies for when pay raises occur, giving unexpected pay raises or bonuses for going above and beyond, always goes a long way. It’s also important to have a sense of where the industry standards are for various positions (as most of your staff probably knows what other companies pay) and to make sure that you are paying your staff a fair and competitive wage. In today’s job market, the last thing you want is to have your staff feeling undervalued.
Given the current climate for hiring, I feel very fortunate that in my company, we have been able to develop a culture where we have relatively high morale, we do not have significant turnover and where we are able to attract and retain solid employees who are invested in their jobs and in our company. This certainly has not always been the case and it wasn’t easy to get to that point; however, it is possible, and it has made a world of a difference for us.
Great ideas and thanks for sharing!