6 Ways to Motivate Your Employees

Employee turnover varies within industries, with the food industry having the highest turnover rate of all. The tinting industry varies by shop - dependent on the way it’s run, the frequency of customers, and quality of work being produced. We decided to give 5 tips on how to motivate your employees to keep them around longer, so you can reduce the cost of turnover and training.

1. Incentives - Aside from your morning inspirational talks, real rewards are highly motivating for employees to produce quality work. Offer a percent commission to each employee for upsells or cross-sells. This will not only incentivize employees, but also help them learn price points of your products and services to develop customer service skills. Second option - Designate an upsell jar in your shop for tinters to place their name when they successfully upsell a product. The competitive edge of seeing other names in the jar will motivate them to talk to more customers.

2. Domino Effect - Energy goes a long way, quickly. If you notice negative energy, take the time the team member aside and talk through it. Some of the time, it can be an issue outside of work, but talking about it can help them clear the issue on their own and build a closer relationship. When the boss is having a rough day, there is more profound effect trickling down to the employees. If you’re having a difficult time pushing emotion aside, consider sitting the team down to let them know what you’re thinking.

3. Team Bonding - we’re not talking about those awkward team building activities where you hold hands and sing Kumbaya. We’re talking about fun activities people will enjoy rather than dread. Take it outside - studies show that people feel psychologically restored after 15 minutes of being outdoors. Going for a hike, getting happy hour, or visiting a local landmark. Don’t know the similar interests between everyone? Take a survey.

4. Lift Weights & Lift Spirits - It’s no secret that exercise improves mental health. Regular exercise has a profound impact on happiness and reduction of depression, stress, and more. The benefits of offering memberships to full-time employees include the expensive and unaffordable pricing of gyms, dependent on the area.

5. Involvement - provide volunteer opportunities for your team members. It may not be in their normal routine to donate time serving the community, so incentivizing with hourly pay may help. What’s the point of community service? One, studies show that companies that serve their community are more likely to increase their sales because community members see them as genuine and empathetic. Can’t afford to pay your employees for extra work? Try another incentive program - whoever volunteers the most hours, gets a $100 gift card of their choice. 90% of volunteers leave an event feeling good about making a difference. Also benefiting your business is the team bond it will provide your employees as they spend time together outside of work.

6. Small Business Collaboration - Name one interesting fact about every one of your employees. If you can’t, you don’t know them well enough. Small businesses need collaboration considering they have fewer resources than a corporate company. Your employees don’t necessarily need to be your friends, but enough of a relationship should be established to promote comfort in collaborating with you, as the owner.