By Michael Mercer
In recent times, employees have resigned in record numbers across the country, constraining production and profits for all types of businesses, including RV and boat storage. This phenomenon has resulted in colorful descriptive phrases, such as “The Great Resignation,” “Quiet Quitting” and “Loud Leaving.”
If your storage business has been impacted by this phenomenon, it would be wise to find out reasons and solutions to ensure your RV and boat storage facility is as successful as possible.
What Has Led to the Great Resignation?
Research on “The Great Resignation” and “Quiet Quitting” conducted finds the main reasons employees quit are due to the following:
* 67% = Low salary
* 66% = Limited career opportunities
* 65% = “Not being valued by my manager”
* 65% = “Relationship with my colleagues”
* 55% = “Being forced to return to onsite work after working remotely”
A Price Waterhouse Cooper survey of employees found that 71% surveyed would change jobs for more pay and 69% would change jobs for more job fulfillment. So what can RV and boat storage operators do to avoid employee turnover?
Fortunately, there are three solutions you can implement immediately.
Solution No. 1: Assign Employees to Work They Enjoy
People want higher pay, but they will not stay if their work is unfulfilling or emotionally dissatisfying. Here are easy ways to make more fulfilling work for each employee.
First, find out what type of work each employee feels the most enthusiastic about doing. Second, make sure that employee’s duties focus on those tasks they liked best.
For example, I consulted with a security company that complained its employees would quit for a higher paying job, and it could not afford pay increases. So, I helped that security company pinpoint what type of work its low-turnover employees did. I discovered its low-turnover employees mainly enjoyed working as either
“Detectives” or “Greeters.”
“Detectives” enjoyed finding and stopping wrongdoing in sites where they worked. In effect, they loved work that made them feel like police officers. “Greeters” enjoyed working at a building’s front desk greeting people as they entered or exited. They loved creating a nice experience for people entering and exiting the buildings.
So, they assigned their “Detectives” to be “Roamers” who spend their work shifts looking for possible trouble to stop. “Greeters” were assigned to work at building the building’s front desks, creating a friendly atmosphere as they greeted people coming and going.
I discovered that this security company’s employees who did not get a thrill working as Detectives or Greeters were resigning in droves. So, this security company focused on assigning employees to the Detective or Greeter job that best fulfilled the employee’s sense of fulfillment.
The result: The company had wonderful employees who loved jobs and lower turnover rates, while saving a ton of money!
Solution No. 2: Hire Employees Who Are More Like Your Superstars
Your most scientific way to decrease turnover is to hire employees who are “clones” or very similar to your Superstars who are both low-turnover and highly productive. The most scientific method is to use pre-employment tests that scientifically measure
* interpersonal styles
* personality traits
* work motivations
* mental abilities
Start by having your Superstars in each job take the pre-employment tests. Use their typical scores as your “benchmark test scores” for their job. Then, when job applicants take the tests, you focus on considering or hiring applicants whose pre-hire test scores are similar to your Superstar’s “benchmark test scores.”
I have done this with many companies using research-based pre-employment tests I created, “Abilities & Behavior Forecaster™ Tests.”
You can see how this works by looking at Exhibit 1, which shows you scores of a job applicant compared to that security company’s Superstar.
* Diamonds = score of applicant
* Benchmark Brackets/Tubes = “benchmark test scores” of this company’s Superstars
* Good = Diamond inside Benchmark Brackets
* Bad = Diamond outside Benchmark Brackets
You can see the applicant in Exhibit 1 is a job candidate this security company will want to seriously consider, because this applicant’s scores are inside this job’s Benchmark Brackets.
Exhibit 1. Test Scores of One Security Guard Applicant Compared to This Company’s “Superstar” Security Guards
Copyright 2022 Mercer Systems.com
Solution No. 3: Wonderful Managers Create Low-Turnover Work Atmosphere
Make a list of your company’s managers who have low turnover in their areas versus managers who have high turnover. What do those low turnover managers do that your high-turnover managers do not do?
In my research, I have found managers who discovered Superstars using pre-employment tests were more likely to find highly productive employees leading to lower turnover rates.
Second, the best managers created an upbeat, positive, optimistic workplace. For example, they insisted their employees optimistically focus on solutions and making things better. Also, they insisted their employees not focus on problems like pessimists habitually do. These actions created an enjoyable, optimistic, positive workplace.
As an RV and boat storage operator, you know it’s essential to offer the highest level of service to tenants. In addition to providing them with a safe and secure place to store their expensive toys, you want to ensure their visits to your site are as pleasant as possible by having Superstar employees greet them and provide concierge services. Make sure you follow the above advice to hire and retain Superstars at your site to keep your business running productively and profitably.
Michael Mercer, Ph.D., is a speaker, business psychologist and author of six books, including “Hire the Best & Avoid the Rest” and also “Turning Your Human Resources Dept. into a Profit Center.” Dr. Mercer is a researcher and creator of three pre-employment tests that offer a scientific method to hire Superstars employees. He often delivers speeches and training seminars at conferences and companies. For more information, visit www.MercerSystems.com.
