To scale a franchise business, you must have the right internal systems and processes in place, strong leadership, and effective sales and marketing strategies. However, none of those matter if you can’t retain enough workers to serve your customers.
The following tips can help you create a workplace environment with minimal turnover:
1. Focus on the human factor
Employers sometimes misconceive what matters most to their employees, leading to frustration and decreased productivity. Instead of making assumptions, use surveys and other engagement tools to collect direct feedback on the employee experience. By asking questions customized to your organization’s values and initiatives, you can turn the survey results into actionable items, like an employee assistance program or financial wellness education.
2. Strive for an exceptional employee experience
To stand out against the competition, you need to create an employee experience that’s as well-thought as the customer experience you so work hard to deliver. Tactics might include:
- Creating a structured, digital onboarding experience focused on your new hires’ individualized needs
- Discovering your employees’ talents and where they can make the biggest impact
- Providing learning opportunities that drive individual and organizational success
- Encouraging managers to provide continuous feedback and discuss employee performance outside traditional review cycles
3. Leverage HR technology beyond the hiring stage
Most franchises already have an HR system in place to speed the process of finding, interviewing, hiring and onboarding candidates with the skills required. To retain them, however, you need to consider how that system can reduce frustration and support and empower employees on a daily basis. A mobile app, for example, can make it easy for staff to manage their schedules, access pay documents, view and update their benefits, or change their retirement plan contributions.
Infographic: Managing retention to help drive franchise growth
