Creating Innovations for an Aspiring Workforce

Even in an economy where thousands of people are fighting for any open position they can get into I find it inspiring that people are still trying to truly focus on what they are truly passionate about.  One frustrated employer in Ohio was struck with an ever revolving workforce for his cleaning service company.  He found that employees were basically using the job as a temporary means of earning income and that they moved on fairly quickly.  The problem he discovered with high turnover in a home cleaning service is that his customers were concerned with new people trucking in and out of their homes so often.  So in an effort to retain his employees he collaborated with a consultant to develop a creative solution….he would train his employees to do other jobs.  He began a program in which he would pay for the employees to receive training in various other areas of their choice in exchange for a commitment to remain with the company for at least two years. 

This notion of employee retention is common in many industries.  Customers and suppliers tend to look unfavorably upon organizations with higher turnover rates. Even in some industries where high turnover is pretty much standard, such as the restaurant industry, it is still unsettling to see new people coming into the company on a regular basis. This type of business behavior leads outsiders to believe that there is either something wrong internally or leads to an overall feeling of mistrust.  In the situation above the employer found that by retaining the same staff for extended periods of time ultimately led to increased business, customers who trust their service providers tend to recommend them to others and we all know that word of mouth is one of the strongest forms of marketing out there.

Another added benefit of this type of program is that when the employees are satisfied with the company and their employers they tend to work that much harder. Who wants to come to work every day and work for a miserable boss in a job that they hate?! Happy people = productive people! While this type of solution may not work in all forms of business this employer found a creative and strategic niche that worked for his problem.  It is this type of “out of the box” thinking that allows organizations to strive in a downtrodden economy, especially small businesses. 

Finally, a key point in this story was that this employer took the initiative to contact a consultant, someone who had the expertise and knowledge to find a solution and push this employer’s business to the next level.  Are you looking to take your business to the next level?  And what are you willing to do in order to achieve this? Find your next creative solution at http://www.sourceoneinc.com/.