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The services industry is a competitive landscape where businesses constantly strive to increase sales. While hiring sales representatives is a common approach, it often falls short in providing the desired income or achieving long-term growth.
A more effective strategy lies in cultivating a loyal customer base that drives repeat business and referrals. Happy clients are more likely to recommend your services to others, leading to a steady stream of new customers and increased revenue. Focusing on customer satisfaction and building strong relationships is key to unlocking the true potential of your services business.
Before you continue reading, this is not an idle list for an idle company. It is real advice for a real business struggling out there !
Sales efforts might work perfectly in trading, but not in service providing. We Plant to harvest, hunting is not sustainable, it might have been in stone ages.
In the HR and Manpower services industry, the company asset is its Consultants/Employees. To keep the value of your assets growing, companies shall increase its employees/Consultants satisfaction and retention.
How to keep your employees/consultants satisfied and Maximize Retention!
1. Transparency
If you are not performing well with your business, there is no shame, speak up! And let those working with you help in all ways.
When you notify your employees of an expected delay in their salaries this month, you gain respect, you might be surprised with the amount of suggestions you may receive to overcome this hardship.
Yes, some might start looking for another stable company, but those genuine employees of yours will rise and you will be able to easily identify the loyal ones directly.
2. Involve your Employees with decision-making !
What makes you happy, does not guarantee the same to others, it’s a common mistake; it will let you fail to consider the needs of others, especially in a multinational company where the cultural background of each of us differs. But imagine how diverse the opinion of these employees would be, how creative! You will certainly realize that you should have done so frequently.
If you involve your employees with decision-making, it will certainly open new markets for your business and widen the perceived image of your enterprise in the eyes of your clients. Nah, it should not be about you and your success all the time! Look at the subject from another point of view.
When you take the decision of your employees, you tend to increase the loyalty feelings in their hearts, everyone of them will feel that he/she belong, when they feel part and parcel of the company, remember to thank me later.
“Pasha, your choice is mine”, our company CEO once said to me, just imagine the great responsibility he throws over my shoulder and imagine the efforts and efficiency I put to accomplish this task as if it was for my own company.
Ask your employees how satisfied they are all the time, send them links to answers anonymously and avoid embarrassments, depending on the percentage of their answers, create a wish list, or let them create a wish list. The internet is flooded with tools and surveys to help you. Once you identify the issues, if there are any, it will be easy to provide solutions and suggestions, remember to ask for these from them too, they are your partners and the keys to your organization success.
3. Benefits
Frequently misunderstood, it’s not the salary split many do to avoid huge End of Service Gratuity payments in some countries. It is the Insurance package you buy for your employees, the retirement packages, the mobile devices they use for your company, the good computer, even the key chain holding your company logo, before giving it as a marketing tool to your clients, think of giving it to your employees.
4. Open your heart to their concerns and celebrate successes
Listen, sit in on-to-one meetings with your employees on a frequent basis, have a friendly coffee break with them, attend their birthdays and show that you really care about their wellbeing’s, ask about their finances, and give suggestions when you can.
On my first job, on my 22nd birthday anniversary, I received an email from the Company’s CEO personally wishing me happy birthday, I remember that my productivity increased by 100% that week. I felt special, I felt that I belong, and that this person really cares, this feeling stayed with me till last day of work with that company and did not change when I knew that this was an Outlook feature that the digital team is helping him with 😊
Celebrating personal occasions is as important as celebrating the successes and achievements of your employees, remember that.
One of my managers asked me to Show my achievements to the higher management by sending them emails that I’ve done this or that, I protested that they should be aware as they are copied in most of my emails, and they can see these achievements in numbers at the end of the month. He might have been correct, as in that organization, I was but a number that add to the total numbers of employees. Take it from here, what would have been the difference if this management identified achievements and celebrated the achiever.
If you attend one of those enthusiastic driven business networking events, you will see the power of recognition and the results of “Thank You” testament given to another business for generating a lead to co-networker; why not doing so with your employees and give them the feeling that they are valued and being watches out by you as their mentor and leader.
“Complements increases results more than criticism” (100 Humans by Netflix).
5. Education and Development
Remember that many employees follow the book. They will be looking for other opportunities outside to simply grow, especially if you are not showing them a clear path of their future in your organization.
I’ve noticed a great development in one of my employees when we started talking about hiring a new employee to assist him with his growing tasks. He felt that he will be responsible of the new junior, even though he was still a junior himself. He felt the opportunity to develop and be a team leader soon. Or felt a threat coming soon with this new employee which led me to think again with the Netflix – 100 Humans – program findings that: “Punishments increased the average of efficiency”.
Create Chart of Employees, and show your employees the steps they could make if they got promoted and where will he/she be if they stayed for another 2 or 3 years in your company.
Add their pictures to your website, send them to attend conferences, exhibitions, let them represent you and the company and offer educational development opportunities schemes.
6. Offer a Proper Monthly Compensation (Salary)
Why not giving the option to Salary revision each Quarter or every Six Months, instead of the well-known One year, with all its delays of travelling partners, sick HR, public holiday, renovating the office, or any other creative excuses!
Money talks, so keep a clear increment percentage after a year, higher on the second and more on the third and so on. One of my clients was offering twice the salary after three years in his organization, he made this clear, in writing.
You better understand the market and check your competitors’ payments to their employees!
No conclusion can be added to the above, let’s keep it simple, and open the doors to your imagination, tip the scale in your favour and increase your employees satisfaction with the way you see it fit.
