Businesses, large or small, are always faced with challenges. That’s nothing new. It’s part of the landscape we’ve become accustomed to. However, it’s fair to say the last two years have presented some unique obstacles, namely: a global pandemic, job losses either through lay-offs or the Great Resignation, supply chain issues, and economic uncertainty.
The pandemic has had the world scrambling; never before has the world become so fixated on healthy spaces, cleanliness, and wellness. It created an interesting dynamic for the home services industry. The demand for cleaning has boomed and will remain high through this decade and beyond, as customers want to know they are being serviced by well-trained professionals who will take care of the job and ensure it’s done right.
In today’s market, the pandemic shifts have pushed the industry to think in new and different ways. We can’t shy away from challenges. It’s time to dig in and remain laser-focused on key concepts. Being an innovative brand that can evolve and quickly pivot creates a great culture. What it takes is doing what’s best for the team, your workforce, and allowing all the pieces to fall into place in a number of ways.
Communication goes both ways
Best habits should become routine, so create a culture of balance. Be purposeful in communication and dedicated to the process. Leadership should meet regularly and not just talk but listen. There are so many platforms enabling you to meet “face-to-face” virtually; take advantage of the technology and allow it to improve you, not hinder you. Don’t fight it, embrace it.
If you are franchised, meet regularly with your franchise owners and engage in a franchise advisory council. Collect feedback and listen; you must, in order to fully comprehend what’s going on “in the trenches.” Your crews are your lifelines. Listening to homeowners and customers about their concerns helps you develop improvements, tweak what you’re doing, and nix the failures. Utilize the concerns, address them, and make your company better.
Connect
Never before has human connection been more important. Yes, utilize digital innovations to stay connected, but more than ever, whenever possible, it’s important to safely come together. Human interaction, being eye-to-eye, shaking hands — there’s something truly special about that. It’s how we’re hard-wired as humans.
As a leader, it’s important to touch base as often as possible. This is how you get feedback. This is big-picture, visionary stuff; trying new things, seeing what works. Reconnecting and putting people first is valuable. Creating this culture is a giant challenge in a larger company, but it’s so worth the effort.
People need to be heard, now more than ever. Not just customers, but your team. There is a very real human component that needs and deserves attention. Focusing on the people in your company means the details will fall into place. This business is more than about providing a service; it is about people.
Flexibility
The world has changed. Business has changed. We are challenged in a few ways, not least the need to adapt to the changing needs of the workforce. Finding the balance between preventing burnout and embracing retention is vital. Does it mean paying more in salaries to make people feel appreciated and needed? Yes, to some extent. Does it mean you have to find the sweet spot by avoiding large price increases to cover rising costs? Yes, on both accounts.
But here’s where feedback comes full circle. With a rising inflationary rate, we need to provide for cost-of-living increases, but not all motivation is monetary. People want to work when they love what they do, so let them be great at what they do. Providing flexible schedules allows a comfortable work-life balance and prevents burnout from long hours. As long as the work is getting done, you can adapt to the needs of your employees.
The reward culture is based on simple practices that go a long way regarding staff appreciation.
Here are some things that seem to work:
- Relay good reviews
- Give employees a pat on the back
- Provide group incentives like pizza lunches or drawings
- Create group sales goals
- Create contests
- Provide feedback to manage performance
What’s the why?
Empowering your team with your “why” can be a game-changer. Training is no longer solely focused on how to do your job, but on why you do this. It adds necessary buy-in and gives everyone a voice. The results will be a higher level of performance as everyone from leadership to franchisees to crews in the field feel that they are part of something.
We need workers to meet the growing demand in our industry. But we don’t need to just fill schedules. We need a quality workforce so pleased with the company they work for that they recruit their friends, family, and work acquaintances to be part of it. The ultimate compliment in a competitive marketplace is that employees are seeking you out because they like what you stand for, they appreciate your culture, and they want to share that.
In some regard, these are not new concepts. We are going back to basics, and they are effective. Change can be hard but adapting to that change is what creates a strong company. As leaders, it’s important to track the metrics of the effectiveness of these changes. Not everything is going to work for everybody, but we must give it a try. We are navigating new waters and what will keep us sailing is making sure our crew is performing well.
What matters is putting your people first.
Ed Quinlan is the President of carpet and upholstery cleaning specialists Chem-Dry and oversees business support services for Chem-Dry’s franchisees.
