3 Tips for In-Home Service Businesses To Hire and Retain The Best Employees
3 Tips for Finding and Retaining Exceptional Service Employees.
In business, reputation and brand positioning are everything. Yet few in-home service businesses give much thought to the ways in which their employees-their company’s greatest asset-impact their reputation. And for in-home service companies, reputation is everything. Though difficult at times, hiring and retaining great service employees is not impossible. These three tips represent the best ways to find and retain exceptional service employees.
1) Check Applicant Backgrounds
HR specialists all agree; when hiring, pick the best person available. Recruiting someone smart, with integrity, who can be an exceptional representative for your company, is never easy. Recruiting firms and testing companies tell you they can find the answers by subjecting new hires to all manner of tests. Others rely on instincts. Neither approach is fool-proof. Testing is expensive and often inconclusive and sometimes even the best judges of character are wrong. Professional background screening by an experienced firm represents a cheaper and safer alternative. A reputable employment screening and background check company will be able to guide you in the proper use of the screening reports for hiring purposes. The screening firm will also be knowledgeable in the laws governing employment screening, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), as well as various state and local laws that have popped up in recent years.
2) Train, Train, Train
Great service employees have limitless potential. Once you’ve hired someone you like and had them properly screened, you need to show them how to do their job in the way you want it done. Chimney Sweeping Repair The best repair people can fix anything, but that’s only half the job. Front line customer service means honing employees’ people skills as much or more than their technical skills. Not only should you provide on-the-job training, but you should always have a “training manual” to set forth the company’s mission statement and protocols regarding common customer situations.
3) Recognize Exceptional Service
It doesn’t have to be more than an announcement at a company meeting but those few words acknowledging an employee’s efforts on the part of your company are vital to retaining great employees. Public acknowledgements remind others of your expectations and help shape company values. A gift card to the local convenience store or doughnut shop works wonders with employees and is an inexpensive way to say that you appreciate them.
In the end, everything goes back to my first point. Finding the best service employees guarantees you a good start. That’s why it is essential to have ongoing employee screening in place.