"You're Fired! Wait! Maybe Not."

There's a woman at my office that has been with the company for about 5-6 years. When I started, she was one of the first that I met. She's very kind and always smiling. She's the hardest working person in the building! Now, let me describe what she does..... Her main position is in manufacturing. I don't know exactly what it is that she's responsible for, but I do know that the men in her area were all trained by her. I also know that every new woman that comes to work here, will be trained by her. Her other responsibilities include cleaning the office. You see, her shift in manufacturing starts at 7:00am. She clocks in at 7:00am and comes into the office where she cleans every office and workstation....emptying all trash and cleaning off each desk, sweeping & moping the floors.

She also cleans the kitchen in the morning and makes a pot of coffee. She will then go and clean the women's and men's restrooms. After she's done with all the cleaning, she goes back to the warehouse and works in manufacturing (we manufacture windows that are used in commercial construction). Her shift ends at 3:30pm. At 3:00pm, she comes back into the office and cleans all the dishes from what was used around lunch. She's fast! She's efficient! She's friendly! What else could you ask for in an employee??

In the book of Colossians 3:23-24, the Bible tells us to work with all our heart, as though we are working directly for God. This is how this woman worked. Today I learned that she has left the company. Now, even though the title of this Blog Post says "You're Fired!", she quit. Now, herein lies the problem... Employees like this woman are few and far between. When I questioned the guy that managed her, he told me that she found a different job making a little more money. Even though he matched what she was offered, the new boss offered an additional $1.50 after 90 days.

Most people in life are only looking for one thing at work. They want to be valued and/or appreciated. Sometimes that appreciation should be shown monetarily. In this case, the guy that managed this woman will soon discover the amount of money he didn't want to pay her will be a drop in the bucket compared to the frustration he is receiving without her leadership and work ethic.

So, how do you show and employee they are valued? What is it that you can do to show your people that you appreciate them?

Let's look and see....

1. Communication - it's important to always let someone know how they are doing at work. Be it good or bad! If they are a good employee and are doing good work, tell them. If they are a not so good employee, have a talk with them and turn them into a good employee! Have these conversations with them and make them a part of their employment records. These conversations are not easy, but believe me, they are necessary!

2. Recognition - it's nice to be recognized for doing a great job, especially in front of your peers. Setting up a program where you have "Employee of the Month" (or quarter) or just recognizing someone for a great thing they did. It's uplifting! When the boss tells everyone in the company that you did this great thing, it feels good! Recognition programs are beneficial to all employees, but they must be maintained!

3. Salary Increase or Bonus - here's the part that "Management" never wants to hear! They say it's too expensive to give raises or bonuses! But, how is your business affected by the constant turnover of good quality employees? How long will you tolerate training people just to watch them leave? Believe me, your competition appreciates it!

4. Rewards - If you don't want to give bonuses or salary increases, give rewards. Something meaningful. At my previous company, I would pick up Bagels every Friday for my employees. I would spend on average, $50.00 per week on Bagels & Cream Cheese. That's $2,700.00 per year just to keep the atmosphere nice and positive! People began looking forward to Fridays! Also, 2-3 times throughout the year, we would set up the Bar-B-Que pit and grill burgers & hot dogs. Never spending a lot of money, but just showing the staff that we appreciate them. It goes a very long way!

My point in all of this is to count the cost. Before you let that person walk out the door, determine what it will really cost you if they go. Now, if their work has always been sub-standard and they are more of a headache, it could save you a lot of money! Either way, count the cost! You don't want to lose a very valuable employee over $1.50 per hour.