You have a promising young employee. He or she punches in, works hard all day, giving you a good effort. That’s right now. But you wonder what the future holds. Will this gung-ho worker lose enthusiasm and turn into a so-so performer? Will he or she go out looking for another job, leaving you with the difficult task of finding another worker who will give an equal effort?
You’re anxious because you were lucky to find someone so conscientious. This is the kind of person you know you could build your business with if you could count on them to stick around and stay fired up about the work. If only you had workers who could carry a load, you’d expand the services you offer and buy that new truck you’ve been dreaming about.
But you also know the realities that have dogged your business in the past: Many workers don’t find the respect, the reward and the satisfaction they seek pumping septic tanks and cleaning grease traps. And as a small business owner, you know you can’t offer the type of salary or opportunities of advancement a bigger company can.
It may help to know that you’re not alone. Over the years I’ve heard many pumping contractors bemoan the fact that they can’t keep good employees, or simply can’t keep them motivated enough to turn them into big-time company assets.
You’d like to think every one of your employees is just as motivated as you are to get up in the morning and do a good job every day. But that’s just not realistic. Nobody will work as long, as hard and carefully as the small business owner. That’s just the way it is and it’s never going to change.
So what can you do to light a fire under the butts of your best employees? How can you convince a young septic service technician that this field — and your company, in particular — offers a long-term career option worth pursuing? Here’s a recipe for success to gain a greater commitment to excellence and loyalty from your company’s best and brightest workers:
