Are you tired of working short-staffed? Or training employees only for them to turn around and quit? You’ve tried incentives, higher pay, yet nothing seems to break this pattern. You’ve been looking for the solution in the wrong place.
Here are three things you can do to reduce your turnover to never work short-staffed and to keep the employees you train. We have also included three Moment with McClaskey videos to further illustrate each point.
1. Are you hiring the right people?
The trick to hiring the right people is asking the right questions during the interview process. A successful interview has 3 parts. The first part is identifying your non-negotiables and then asking the candidate to ensure they align with what you’re looking for. This could include that they are available during the times of the shift you’re looking to fill. Or if their pay requirements match what you’re offering. Or that they have a reliable means of transportation to be at work on time for every shift.
The second part is knowing what you’re looking for. For example, do you need someone who will follow the exact steps of a process or someone who creatively tackles tasks? Asking a candidate about a time they had to solve a problem at work will help you identify which box the candidate fits.
The third part is being able to answer the question of if they will show up. Ask the candidate how often they miss work or to share about a time they were late at a previous job.
If you don’t hire the right person for your team, then you have kicked the can on the problem, all but guaranteeing that the new hire will leave because they aren’t a good fit.
- Check out this Moment with McClaskey Video on Hiring the Right People
2. Are you onboarding new hires the right way?
The first impression a new employee has of a company is formed during the onboarding process. This is when the company sets the tone for their time in this role. That’s why it’s imperative to take time with new employees and not pass them off to shadow other employees, hoping they’ll catch on to the role and their position.
Onboarding should be conducted by the manager, leader, or supervisor that is going to be overseeing this team member’s experience with the organization. These people need to spend one-on-one time with the new team member.
The company’s mission, values, and expectations of what it’s like to work there should be covered during the onboarding process. This is also the time when the new employee receives their schedule, tours the building and sees where important items are kept, and is introduced to team members. Nothing should be left for new employees to figure out by themselves.
The onboarding process should also include thanking the employee for choosing to work at the company, making them feel valued in their role from the very beginning.
Team members need to be invested in from day one.
- Check out this Moment with McClaskey Video on Successful Onboarding
3. Are you using not only corrective, but also positive coaching?
Corrective coaching is the most common type of coaching employees experience. But what if I told you positive coaching far outweighs the impact of corrective coaching?
Corrective coaching is when you see a team member following a process incorrectly and you take the time to show them the correct way to follow the process to eliminate errors.
Positive coaching is when you see a team member doing something right and praising them for it. And while all positive coaching is good, focusing on things that aren’t trivial, such as getting a complicated order correct or solving a complex problem for a customer, has a far greater impact than saying “good job” for something less challenging like being on time to work.
Team members who feel valued are more likely to stay at their job or move up in that company rather than seek employment elsewhere.
- Check out this Moment with McClaskey Video on Positive and Corrective Coaching
If you do these three things, you will reduce your turnover and not have to worry about working short-staffed. You’ll have employees who want to be there, who match the values of the company, who meet the company’s expectations, and who want to work toward meeting the company’s mission.
Reducing turnover is one of the many pain points we cover in our Achieving World-Class Results class. For a list of upcoming class dates, visit our website at mcclaskeyexcellence.com.
