It’s no secret that the service industry typically experiences high levels of turnover. While it’s comforting to know you are not alone, this comfort does not help you solve the staffing challenges you are facing today. It’s a problem that can certainly be confronted on multiple fronts. We will outline 4 different ways your software can help you tackle turnover and increase employee retention.
Data Tracking
We tend to spend significant time and budget resources towards getting employees in the door only to have them exit stage left in under a year. Our data has shown us that the most critical time in a new staff’s journey is their first year. This is where we tend to see the most turnover. This is a perfect example of how data can be your friend and confidant. The cool thing about data is it can tell a story and that story can help you discover things you may not be aware of.
When you don’t have all the facts, it can be hard to know how to solve a problem. If you don’t know why someone is quitting, any solution you try is going to be like shooting in the dark and crossing your fingers to hit the target. Get curious and start looking for data that can help you make smarter decisions and provide educated solutions. Some data points we recommend looking out:
-Looking at the time frame for when an employee leaves. Is it in their first three months, 6 months, 9 months, a year, 2 years, and so on? This information can help you know where to start.
-Are you looking at who their supervisor is? Can you see any patterns? A major reason people leave their jobs is because of an experienced lack of support from their boss.
-How far did they get in their training plan? This might tell you something.
-How is their attendance record? Did you see the signs early on?
This kind of data tracking can be done manually but most agencies do not have the resources to do this. The right software should give you the reports you need.
Appreciation
Gallup Consulting group is known for tracking engagement in the workplace. One of the engagement questions they ask in their surveys is something along the lines of, “Have you felt appreciated by your supervisor in the last 3 weeks?” Gallup believes the number 1 reason people leave their jobs is that they don’t feel appreciated. As directors and managers, we tend to have every intention of showing appreciation, but it often is pushed aside when crisis needs pop up.
Appreciation in the workplace needs to be a culture shift and the best place to start is with your systems. Do you have any systems in place that would allow this value to be represented consistently? A few places where you could start:
–Appreciation Languages: Have you heard of the 5 Languages of Appreciation by Gary Chapman? You can learn more about the concepts here. What if you knew what made each of your staff feel appreciated? Imagine what you could do with that information. The employee profile in QSP can track this for you! This could go a long way to improve employee retention!
–Birthday Acknowledgement – This is a no-brainer. Your software should be able to tell you when it is your staff’s birthday. This is an easy way to make your employee feel seen, heard, and celebrated.
–Annual Reviews – When you have an excellent review tool and process, this can boost employee morale. Your software can help you keep track of when these reviews should take place.
Communication
Have you heard of the 7 Times Rule in communication? The simple explanation is you need to communicate 7 times in 7 different ways when rolling out any change in your organization. Many of us can relate to feeling accomplished when we manage to communicate it once! Now, the thought of trying to communicate the same thing in different ways can feel daunting but this is where you can lean into your systems. Here are some ways our QSP customers use their software to communicate:
–Staff Connects: This tool is designed to track when meaningful connects happen with your supervisors and the people they are leading. It is a great way to hold your team accountable and provide a framework for your teams.
–Direct Messaging: You can message your staff within QS mobile or through your desktop browser. This makes it easy to reach out quickly!
–SOS Messaging: You can create customized messages that your staff has to acknowledge prior to clocking in. This can provide you the assurance you need that they have seen the message.
Schedule Accuracy and Clarity
Do your staff know when and where they need to be on shift? Have you ever experienced the headache of cleaning up a payroll error because it was not clear when staff worked? This can be a nightmare to fix and make you vulnerable to legal troubles. Not only that, it sends the message to your staff that they can’t trust you or your systems.
Converting to a software system to manage scheduling and payroll can be a leap. We get it. It’s changed. It’s different. It will require some work on the front end. But think about what not having it is costing you.
Now, we’ve given you 4 Ways Your Software Can Help You with Employee Retention. What are you excited to try?
If you are currently using a data management tool, what is something you could implement today? Schedule time to get the ball rolling. Don’t wait until you “feel” like you have the bandwidth. Make this a priority.
If you are now using a software tool to help you manage your systems, what are you waiting for? If your current system is working for you, more power to you! Don’t change what is working but make sure you are at least asking yourself the question, “Is this the most effective way to do this?”
