TREND IN FOCUS
Retaining your rock stars
The HOLTZ Way
The fight for talent begins at home
A
ccording to Matt Mosser, chief human resources officer at Gallup, one of the biggest takeaways for employers from the company’s recent State of the Global Workforce: 2023 Report is this: “Half your employees are looking to leave.” While the percentage of employees pursuing new opportunities in North America (47%) is slightly better than the global number (51%), the reality is a significant portion of employees are actively watching for—or actively seeking—a new job. Which is why, Mosser says, employers need to be doing all they can to retain talent. Guarding your most vital resource —your employees To protect existing talent, Mosser encourages employers to: Retain your stars.
To prevent losing hardworking superstars, start here: ■ Build deep relationships. When you do, employees will be more likely to tell you everything, including if they’re looking for another job. Then you can manage accordingly. ■ Talk to them every week. Whether formal or informal, ongoing conversations help you stay in sync. ■ Conduct stay-interviews. Each year, do an in-depth interview with your stars—ask why they stay, what might make them leave, and what’s most important to them. Make your values known. Then live them.
It’s not enough to print out your values and hang them on a wall. Instead, they need be something your employees and customers experience every day, in every interaction. Two pros, two approaches to employee engagement Rick Holtz, the president of H.J. Holtz & Son in Richmond, VA, is essentially the poster child for the ideas Mosser sets forth. He’s managed to forge strong relationships with his employees—including five who’ve been with him for 20+ years—through daily interactions on the job, monthly foremen meetings, and monthly all-company meetings. A key component of the company meetings is acknowledging individuals who exhibit a great work ethic and embrace ‘The Holtz Way.’ “The closest thing we have to a mission, The Holtz Way is on the wall of our shop and embodies our
✓ Consistent work ✓ Profit sharing ✓ Growth opportunities
✓ More sales ✓ Higher profit
Make Money
Care for Each Other
✓ Teamwork ✓ Help each other ✓ Help the company ✓ Happy people ✓ Keep people ✓ Excellent team
Care for ✓ Great service Our Customers ✓ Excellent craftsmanship
✓ Repeat business ✓ Referrals ✓ Great reputation
approach to how we work and how we relate to each other,” he explains. “Any problem we have—be it with customers or between crew members—can be resolved by referring to it. Everybody knows it and everybody owns it. It keeps us operating from the same page and forges a deeper level of connection and understanding between us.” Holtz also meets one-on-one with every employee (66 in total) annually. “Connecting with each individual makes a huge difference,” he says. “It’s much deeper than what you get on the job. We get into their goals and dreams. The conversation is rarely about money; more often, they show ownership-thinking and share ideas for creating efficiencies and how we can do better.” Cole Palea, owner of NOVO Painting & Property Services in Seattle, also values one-on-one exchanges with his crew. In his 11 years as an owner, Palea’s approach to employees and retention has evolved. “I started out focused on having bodies. But then I realized what I really wanted was to be surrounded by people I like and who are invested in supporting each other,” he says. “Now my focus is helping employees reach their potential—even if that means going somewhere else to do it. If someone feels they need to get from point A to B and I can’t offer B right now, I’m straight up with them. I may even call other painting companies and say, ‘I’ve got a guy for you.’ There’s no need to make exits contentious. Sometimes they come back, sometimes they start their own businesses. I actually sub work to former employees.” He adds, “Staying positive and treating people with respect changed the dynamic of the company. And now other painters know it. So, when I do need new team members, it’s not hard to find them.”
“Half your employees are looking to leave.” —MATT MOSSER, GALLUP
Winter 2023/2024 | inPAINT
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