Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/1390499
PalletCentral • July-August 2021 29 Otherwise, you risk introducing new employees who could be toxic to your hard-built culture. Be patient, and always be recruiting. Have employees refer friends or people in their circles. Everyone enjoys working with people they like, know and trust. Create a tribe. What about attracting employees to an industrial setting like the pallet industry? In this setting, I would shift over to words POTENTIAL and WORTH. On potential, communicate personal growth opportunities if there is no way to go up the ladder. Every employee can enroll in financial growth classes or get free marriage counseling, parenting classes, or negotiation training. Grow people to be better people. Find out what matters to a potential employee and create a plan for them. Maybe they need to learn better English, how to buy a car, how to invest, or wellness initiatives. Maybe they need later shifts in order to manage childcare with a working spouse. e component where managers fail most often in retention: Follow up. Purposefully circle back in one, three, or six months and informally check on the employee's welfare from time to time. On worth, there should be ongoing communication to ensure your employees feel seen, heard and understood. is includes more personalized recognition. Vocal praise is important. Annual awards with trophies or monthly shout outs also go a long way. Saying 'we appreciate you' is the #1 thing asked for by employees and #1 thing that was not being given, according to my research. On pay, you have to evaluate who you can give a raise. Money matters. Intangible perks can only go so far. If your employees are not seen, heard and rewarded, they will go somewhere that they are seen, heard and rewarded the first chance they get. Most of us have that one person, a teacher or a boss, that made a life-altering impact on us. Be that person to others. Be the leader and the company that makes a difference by empowering people to have a meaningful work-life and creates pride in an employee's life's work. Caryn Smith serves as the editor and art director of PalletCentral. She is CEO of Driven By Design LLC, a communications agency specializing in association publications for over 20 years.