advanced trainings are generally better suited to springtime. It can be gut-wrenching to invest time and money training individuals only to see them leave the company ranks over the winter. However, talking to staff now about career development opportunities in the spring will give them something to strive and return for in 2021.
difference between happy staff and disgruntled employees. PERSONAL CONNECTIONS All that said, when it comes to caring for and helping staff to succeed, few things will reap greater reward than man-
Above: Staff work their way through the course at The Forge: Lemont Quarries.
Offer pro deals. It is simple to set up a pro deal (or direct your employees on how to set it up for themselves), and everyone loves gear! Companies such as Outdoor Pro-Link and Expert Voice allow employers to set up pro deals for employees with a variety of brands. Petzl and other manufacturers offer pro-purchasing programs and pro deals for industry professionals that individuals can set up online with proof of employment (pay stub, business card, etc.). Making fringe benefits available to staff can help them realize direct advantages from their employment with your operation and make them feel more valued.
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Hard lessons were learned across the board this year. Looking to the start of 2021, the most successful programs will be those that identify and implement methods to better care for their staff and adapt to changing times. Value your vets. Recruitment and hiring will be more challenging next year due to the reduced number of staff this season. Operations that retain personnel from this year will have less work in the spring. Returning staff save us time and money in training, and the veterans can help mentor, inspire, and monitor new team members.
FRINGE BENEFITS When compensational benefits are scarce, as they have been for many operations this year, fringe benefits can serve as a useful alternative for building staff morale. Discounts and pro deals with gear manufacturers/distributors, trades with other local businesses, and access to extra activities within the operation are all examples of fringe benefits with little or no cost associated with them.
LOOKING AHEAD
Little perks boost morale. When it comes down to the day-to-day, James says, “It’s the small things that have made the difference this year. Things like coffee and candy in the afternoon of a hard day go a long way in helping morale.” At the Lost Forest, James says they have hosted popsicle days, procured a coffee machine for HQ when staff requested one, and did some social-distanced teambuilding that had everyone involved and laughing. “Things like that got our staff excited and recharged,” he recalls. Those small gestures of food, activities, and support can make the
agement developing strong personal connections with employees. This is especially important in the time of COVID. Listen to your staff and be empathetic to what they are going through, both at and outside of work. James’ advice is to “know that everyone is going through a weird time right now, and your staff isn’t always going to be OK.” Take the initiative. The onus is on leaders to ask the hard questions and listen to the answers, whether it’s something you want to hear or not. A manager’s purpose is to support his or her staff in a manner that allows the staff to be more effective in their roles. This may mean jumping up on course to give a hungry staffer a break, or taking the time at the end of the day to check in with employees about how it went and how they are feeling. The ethical line between “how hard can I push my staff” and “how hard should I push my staff” is a fine one that must be tread with care. We can only know the answer to such questions if we have a relationship with those we work with and understand their emotional and physical limits.
Veteran employees are also (generally) more dedicated to the site and more engaged, which helps to maintain and grow the culture of the site. These experienced team members are often the pillars on which our operations stand. Operators would do well to try to gain understanding now of what will motivate their staff to return next spring and use this information to create a plan for staff retention. Anticipate change. In planning for next year, sites should have several strategies for staff care outlined in advance because, as we’ve all seen, challenges relating to COVID have a habit of appearing and changing rapidly. Adaptability has been, and will continue to be, key to survival. Share with, learn from your peers. Shared experience can make this process easier. Concepts that succeed at one site may very well work at others. The proverbial “staff care” wheel does not need to be reinvented at each operation. Conversations between industry professionals have become wonderfully prolific this year, and our industry as a whole will benefit tremendously if these lines of communication remain open. It’s been a tough year, but the determination and enthusiasm of our employees and leadership has kept us going. We will persevere, and with the help of our staff, climb higher in 2021.