Good workers are great to have, amazing workers are an asset to your business as a whole. They can be hired from day one, and they can be molded and formed into thriving, growing individuals who bring much to your brand. Impressive workers are what can help your franchise business excel in any scenario. From customer service, to operations, to coming up with new ideas that can help provide your franchise location, workers who are constantly improving will be your biggest asset.
In order to find and keep this rare breed, look to proven methods. Picking through the litter and then keeping them on board can improve your franchise’s ROI, your reputation with customers, and it can help your brand work more efficiently. Call upon these methods to reward – and retain – your best workers.
1. Look Beyond Experience When Hiring for Your Franchise
Experience can be taught. Attributes cannot. Look for the personal qualities that you are after in each worker and allow them to affect your overview potential candidates. Some attributes you might find most valuable include: hard working, loyalty, the ability to learn and take on new tasks, initiative, and more.
Every employee has to start somewhere. Remember that just because someone is young or hasn’t had a chance to make their mark on the workforce yet doesn’t mean they can’t be a viable asset to your business.
2. Lead With Respect … And Gain it From Your Franchise Workers
Just because your franchisee employees are the underdog (to you, the owner), doesn’t mean there’s a pecking order of respect. In the same way that you expect them to look to you as their boss, you should treat them with that same level of kindness. When teaching and training new skills, when asking questions, even when reprimanding, lead with poise as a franchisee.
There may be times when you’ll need to be more firm, but there’s a difference between firmness and disrespect. Even when being corrected, employees are far more to be responsive to a boss who is genuinely teaching them to learn, not just assigning a peon to do the tasks they dislike.
Respect your crew and lead with respect in order to not only set the standard of tone for your franchise location, but to draw in employees who sign on for the long haul. Create a better culture all around and your employees will want to stay for the friendly environment as an ongoing perk.
3. Ask Their Opinions to Help Your Franchise Grow
Your employees provide valuable insight as to how your franchise could be improved. Ask their opinion at regular intervals, or consider allowing input as it comes to them. This type of setup can bring in some great ideas that could help improve the flow of your franchise business. It will come with plenty of ideas you won’t like – or that simply aren’t achievable – but you can easily filter through it all.
After all, they are the ones performing tasks, making products or putting together a certain service. The troubles they come into can improve daily protocol and lead to a business that’s more focused and more streamlined.
Whether you opt to send out anonymous surveys or allow for open office hours, consider getting your workers’ insights.
4. Offer Advancement Opportunities for Your Franchise Employees
Promotions, continuing education, raises, more responsibilities, etc. are all prime examples of ways to keep your employees on board. If you can keep them growing, keep them reaching toward new goals, you can help keep them on your team. Workers who not only feel appreciated, but know they aren’t “stuck” are more likely to stay loyal.
Even if you don’t have promotion advancement opportunities for your workers, look to help their futures in any way possible. Offer new training sessions, classes, or when the time comes, consider referring them into management or franchise ownership themselves. While they might not always be under your wing, long term workers can make for the best franchisees, and having an ally on your side will help you both well into the future.
5. Reward Franchise Employees
This one seems simple enough – reward for a job well done. Literally. However, you don’t have to break the bank and bleed your payroll dry just to give a little pat on the back. Consider rewards like the ability to choose their next shift, naming employee of the month (or another award), and simply telling a standout employee that they’re doing a good job. You’d be surprised how far a “You’re doing awesome!” compliment can go. Don’t overlook an opportunity to remind a worker just how much you appreciate their contribution to your franchise.
6. Earned Raises for Learned Skills
In many scenarios, entry-level workers are offered nothing more than minimum wage. The idea of a raise isn’t even on the table. However, you should seriously consider the idea of upping your best workers’ paychecks every so often. The raise doesn’t have to be big or bold, but simply existing can let them know they’re doing a great job.
And before you think it’s simply an extra expense, consider the cost involved with hiring and training a new employee. Then the difference in efficiency with that new worker. Even if you’re paying the new guy less, it can cost big bucks in the process.
When looking at raise schedules for your franchise employees, consider any model information put forth by your franchising brand. You can also seek out the advice of an accountant, which will provide you with financial data from which you can make a sound decision.
7. Remain Uplifting, Even in Stressful Moments for the Business
Work can be a stressful environment, but your tone sets the mode for the entire franchise location. If you are able to remain calm and collected during moments of stress, you’ll teach your franchise workers to do the same. This is also a far more enjoyable environment to work within. No one wants to deal with the boss who collapses under pressure. Handle your own stressors to create a better company culture all around.
There’s much that can be done in order to retain the best franchise employees. Follow these seasoned steps to keep them on your team for years to come.