Hire, Train, Retain, Repeat
N
ot since 1969 have so few people been unemployed in the United States. Evidence of a strong economy, but that doesn’t mean franchisees can relax. On the contrary, today’s record low unemployment rate means they must work harder than ever to hire and keep the kinds of employees whose work sustains a successful business. “It’s the hot topic of the day,” says PuroClean franchisee Keegan Trudgen. “We’re at full employment and everyone is looking for qualified workers.” Add in the high turnover typical of certain industries (think restaurants), and that makes good solutions for effective hiring, training, and retention essential. Some of those solutions are right at hand. “It’s not in the least bit sexy,” says Trudgen, “but we’ve had success with a friends and family approach, combined with word of mouth.” He has also begun reaching out to local high school and community colleges and counselors at career centers to showcase the professional options PuroClean offers. “We’re giving people a path,” he says.
Tips for finding and keeping employees
Written By
SARA WYKES
Offering a future that’s more than short-term is an effective strategy, says Lance Vaught, vice president of operations for Penn Station East Coast Subs. “Competing for employees on starting wage alone is not effective in today’s ultra-competitive hiring environment. We have always felt the type of employee our franchisees are looking to recruit is someone who wants to work their way up the ladder from day one.” With that in mind, Vaught says, “We developed the My Penn Path development aid, which allows franchisees who are recruiting job candidates to more clearly articulate a candidate’s career path. It engages them in the process from the start and allows franchisees to compete on opportunity as much as wage.” Technology is a popular solution for initial outreach. “Our franchisees use various online recruiting platforms, in-person restaurant recruiters, and traditional employee referrals from their crew,” says Vaught. Candidates are also asked to complete personality profiles. “These profiles help ensure that the candidate is a good fit culturally and emotionally. They also help assess