Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the #greatresignation. The current worker shortage means employees have options. And the past couple of years have taught many workers that they like certain benefits, like working from home and flexible hours. So, the question employers are facing is: how do contractors retain good employees?
The most common reason employees leave their current position is lack of career opportunity. This is especially tricky for the Office Manager position. Many roofing companies tend to structure the OM position as an entry level position. But, because the role controls so many facets, the position is integral to the organization. If your Office Manager feels like she is stuck in an entry level role with no room to grow in your company, she is more likely to leave. And if a good OM leaves, you may find yourself stuck.Â
So, what can your roofing company do to keep your exceptional Office Manager? Follow these five tips:
- Hire the right people. This sounds like a no-brainer but isn’t as easy as it sounds. You want to hire someone who really believes in your company. A good employee is more likely to stay if she fits in well with the company culture, is happy with the overall direction of the company, and feels that she is a part of it.
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- Develop a culture of involvement. Make your office managers (and all employees, for that matter) feel appreciated with an open-dialog management style. Encourage ideas AND actually listen to the suggestions. Share regular feedback on job performance and have honest conversations about where an employee wants to go in her career.
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- Expand upon the current role. Are there other duties and responsibilities you can give her? OM job duties usually include sending warranty information. Can you add registering warranty information to the role? This creates an added level of skill AND increases customer service in your organization, something that is integral to the OM position.
A good place to start is training her on the industry and the processes that go into inspections and supplementing. - Play to their strengths. What does your OM do well? What does she enjoy doing? Pinpoint her strengths and redesign the job description to build on what she is good at. By maximizing strengths and minimizing weaknesses, your employee will be more productive and happier.
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- Turn the role into a revenue-generating position with networking. Networking success is easy to measure, and the benefits are two-fold:Â
- Networking events can lead to more business for your roofing company as home shows and company events allow for face-to-face interactions with potential customers.
- Participating in professional groups can add more valuable training and insight to the employee. We recommend having your OM join local and national organizational groups. Organizations like the National Women in Roofing serve our industry and Business Network International (BNI) cross industries have local chapters that were created to spark collaboration and personal growth. Consider having your OM attend trade shows like the International Roofing Expo (IRE) to gain more industry knowledge. Doing so will show that you are willing to invest in her ongoing industry education and that you want to recognize her for a job well done.