Invest In Your Company By Investing In Your Employees

How much do you invest in your employees?  How much do you value your employees and value retaining them in your company?

Whether or not you answer this question here and now, you have already answered this question with your actions and the worst part is that your employees all know your answer.  No decision is still a decision.  By not choosing to value your employees, you have chosen. 

If you value your employees and their retention, you must invest in them - more than their salaries, more than their benefits, and more than a year end party.

You need to invest in them personally, professionally and educational.  Personally invest in your employees by understanding when they have a family emergency.  For example, allow them time off when they have a funeral or death that doesn't count against their PTO or vacation - the rewards will last a long time in loyalty to your company.  Professionally invest in them by allowing them room to grow and advance in your company.  Don't give someone a huge title such as office manager or controller and have them sitting at your front desk answering phones (unless you have a one person office).  Give them what they need to advance and grow with your company. Educational investments in your employees will be beneficial in that employees who are kept abreast of educational requirements of advancements in the company are offered to them no matter what position they hold.  Everyone needs to know that the opportunity for growth and advancement is available to them.

Companies that maintain quality, long term employees know this and practice these traits.  They know that retaining employees makes their company stronger in the marketplace.  Customers don't like change in staff occurring over and over either.  Keep your employees happy and they will keep your customers happy.

Investing in your employees could be as simple as bringing in someone to teach a few times a month for an hour or so over lunch on things that bring your company quality service, safety, document management or any of hundreds of topics  to advance your company.  I do this with my business for several companies where I go in and teach skills to people in small (2-3 people) to large groups (35-40 people).  Depending on what the company needs, I have done one on one training as well.

There are many things that you can do to show employees that you care about their future with your company without spending a small fortune.  Realize that people have families and personal lives, care about your people and they will remember that you cared when most other companies wouldn't have cared.  I'm not saying let your employees use you, just remember they are people too and not just numbers on time clocks that should act like robots in your company.

You will see in many companies that have long term employees, it is because the company treats their employees as if the company couldn't run as well as it does with out them.  Never tell your employees that you could do everything without them - that doesn't build employee loyalty.  Let them know they matter. 

Charlene S Reed, Owner/Author

www.MyConstructionOffice.com

"Construction Administration Handbook"