How To Attract And Retain Great Staff
It’s probably been four years since we last visited Western Australia. So we decided to come over and spend some time with our clients. We have visited four in the past week and it’s great to see all of the thriving post the challenges of covid.
What’s been interesting is learning what they're doing differently now as opposed to the pre-covid times. Their focus is no longer on how they can put more bums on seats because they're doing great with that. Now their focus is more on staffing.
I had a really great conversation with one of my clients who said that his job had totally changed. As much as he can, he’s taken himself out of the running of the restaurant. There are times when he's got to go in when they are down on staff numbers, but most of the time he sees his role as working to retain, attract, train, and keep staff.
He talked about all the different ways that he's doing this, like helping people with their financial situation. He went as far as to buy someone a car so that they could get to him from the restaurant. He also lent another member of staff some money. As a matter of fact, he's actually paying his accountant an extra hour a month, to work with him so that he understands how money works, how to make use of it so that it makes money for him…rather than him going into debt which sadly many young people in our industry do.
He has also taken time to coach and mentor them on areas of their life beyond work. After finding out what else they are passionate about beyond work, he has supported them to get on tertiary education courses so that they are better skilled, qualified and enjoying life more as a result.
The exciting thing is that these team members are paying him back in some really interesting ways.
For example they’re creating and running exciting dining events in the restaurant which attracts new and regular diners. These events generate more money for the business, which in turn pays the owner back for his investment in them then he shares some of the profit with them.
Now you might be thinking, "Well, you shouldn't have to do that. That's not what an employer does” but these team members are very grateful. They are motivated and they are making the restaurant more successful as a result of their input.
In a time when people are leaving or demanding pay rises, his team are incredibly loyal and are recommending that other great people join the team. One told me she’s telling her friends, "You should come and work here because this is an amazing place and our boss really looks after us."
If you want have a great “fully staffed” team you've got to do things differently. Because of the way that he's treating him and his staff, they are loving working for him.
The reason I'm telling you all of this is that we can all whine about the terrible situation that we're in with our staff, or you can do something in order that great people come to work with you… and then promote your business!
This is really, that’s creative thinking. Instead of being a victim of circumstances, this member of our coaching group is creating the environment where the staff want to work.
What’s more I saw the biggest smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye whilst he was telling me this. After some really tough times in business he is once again having fun… oh and one other thing, he is away on holiday this week visiting the food show in Melbourne whilst his team are running the show!
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