We sat down with Best-Selling Author, Chester Elton, to discuss how foodservice dealerships can create a strong company culture that employees want to be a part of.
The foodservice industry is one that has arguably been hit the hardest by the recent rise in labor shortages. We often hear from our foodservice dealership members about the struggles they are facing to find and keep their employees. Practicing a strong company culture—where employees feel as though what they do matters and makes a difference—can help dealers make it through tough times and retain talent. Here, Chester Elton, Co-Author of, “Anxiety at Work,” as well as other leadership books, offers five tips for creating a tribal-like culture.
1: Assess the Situation
“What do your turnover rates look like with your full-time staff? That’s a great indicator [of whether you have a strong company culture],” Elton says. Employees who are engaged, enabled (have the tools they need) and energized will stay with a company. Employees of foodservice dealerships who are not those things will more likely leave for a $1 an hour or a 3% raise, he says. Showing up late, missing deadlines and radio silence are signs of disengagement.
2: Refresh the Mission, Vision, and Values
Regularly evaluate what the foodservice dealership stands for and get input from employees. “Often what we’ll see, particularly with family-owned businesses, is ‘These have been our values for 30 years and they’ve served us well,’” Elton says. “That’s great and the essence of those values is probably still pretty rock solid.” But check with your employees as to whether the company’s mission, vision and values are still relevant and if they are communicating those things in today’s language—not decades-old language. Your employees will feel valued for being included in the process, as well.
3: Develop an All-In Culture at Your Foodservice Dealership
Leading with gratitude helps show employees that what they do matters and makes a difference. “People who are recognized more at work are more likely to stay. In fact, they’re three times more likely to stay,” Elton says. He points to one foodservice dealership company who uses a simple tool, called, “10 and 10,” that helps build good will. Here is how it works: The first 10 minutes of the workday, the company’s leaders greet everyone and thank them for coming in to put in another great day’s work. At the end of the day, the leaders take 10 minutes to thank everyone and say that they are looking forward to seeing them tomorrow. A simple tactic like this does not take much to implement but goes a long way for a team.
4: Show Empathy
Soft skills, such as empathy, that were once nice-to-haves are now absolute must-haves for company leaders. (And by the way, caring about employees does not make a leader, “soft.”) The pandemic brought to light that foodservice dealerships employees are bringing their whole selves to work and, in some cases, working longer hours than ever before. Employees who have managers who are willing to listen—not have all the answers but truly listen—are three and a half times less likely to take sick days and more than two and half times less likely to quit, Elton says.
5: Prioritize Mental Health
Millennials and Generation Z employees in the workplace are particularly attuned to their mental health. Leaders who destigmatize conversations around it will better retain these smart, engaged, young hires, Elton says. As many as 50% of millennials and 75% of Gen Z said they have had to quit a job because of mental well-being. “The reason they quit is because it’s not safe to talk about [mental health],” he says. “It’s easier to quit, take some time off, and go get another job.”
Bonus Tip for Foodservice Dealerships! Invest in Your Team Through Continuing Education (CE)
Investing in your employees by offering opportunities for continuing education shows that you care about their personal and professional growth. “The work we have done with a large financial group tells us their best retention strategies are not only ongoing CE but also providing tuition reimbursement for leadership development,” Elton says. Cutting Edge Online Training (powered by Excell and Nissco) is one way dealers can engage and empower employees for a stronger company culture. Product category training courses, vendor partner webinars, soft-skills training and a resource library mark a few highlights. Learn more about how Excell and Nissco members can access Cutting Edge for free at here.
Learn more about Chester’s work at: https://thecultureworks.com/anxiety-at-work/
Buy the book, “Anxiety at Work” on Amazon or BookPal for bulk purchases.
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