Stabilization on a steep hill.
A business owner sent this memo to new employees:
“I am writing to inform you of this [the company] He wants to give you a path to success with our company. You won’t find another company willing to give you the opportunity and training to succeed and go as far as you want. Please make an appointment to meet with me on most Saturdays. Sometimes I work on Sundays too. We can discuss ways to improve. It is very easy to understand and achieve if you are willing to do it.
Recruiting and retaining good employees in a tight job market is difficult but important. Upskilling existing employees is often easier than going out and trying to hire experienced employees. And the best employees read the memo and want to continue working in the company because the owner is trying to help the employees. This attitude is more valuable for employee retention than yoga classes and other frills.
Business owner Manuel Castaneda is PLI Systems, a soil stabilization contractor in Hillsboro, Oregon. (He and I serve together on the board of directors of the Cascade Policy Institute.) Castanda came to this country as a teenager unable to speak English. He started a lawn mowing service while in high school. In the year In 1989, he learned how to operate construction equipment on steep slopes to prevent landslides and started his current company. It now has 44 employees.
When asked about his motivation for the memo, Castaneda said his employees might see opportunities to earn an extra dollar or two elsewhere. He wanted them to know that they could do much better by staying with the company and improving their skills.
Tips for employees follow the lead article. For example, “A CDL [commercial drivers license] It gives you more autonomy. If you know how to do the work and how to use tools, you can operate your own tools and not depend on someone else. This will allow you to grow faster. He followed this up with the following comment: “Don’t worry if you can’t get your CDL now because you made a mistake in the past.” Start training and learning other skills that you don’t need to drive for now. Eventually, the time will pass and you will be ready when the opportunity arises. Don’t do stupid things to get banned again.”
Other advice was straightforward: “Learn how to read blueprints. We provide classes for planning reading. Just let me know and we can make it happen. This discount is now given to entry-level workers who don’t need to read blueprints, but the skill is useful for taking on more responsibility.
In the first two weeks, half of the new employees made an appointment to talk to the owner.
The company helps with buildings on hillsides or drainage problems. That doesn’t solve all the world’s problems, but it does solve the specific problems that certain people face. Castaneda doesn’t brag to his crew about saving the world. Instead, it offers them a way to gain pay, responsibility, and respect. The workers start thinking about more pay, but getting paid comes from being qualified for more responsibility, and the result is not only a salary, but more respect – self-respect and respect for others.
Every CEO is a sales person, and part of their job is to sell jobs to current and future employees. Salespeople are trained to highlight the benefits of their product to their customers. In today’s job market, an employee does not have to buy a job from you; He or she can find work anywhere. Therefore, the CEO must include what is available to employees, whether it is to retain or hire them. Such notes focus on the potential benefits.
Castaneda concluded his letter with a final piece of advice, “Find habits that will improve your life and find habits that will help you think about a brighter future.” Good advice for anyone.
