IT’S NOT JUST FOR SILICON VALLEY ANYMORE THE COVID-19 ECONOMY DEMANDS HAPPY EMPLOYEES — EVEN REMOTE ONES!
You know those businesses that are just different ? Think of Costco, Vistaprint, Whole Foods, and Southwest Airlines; they are great to do business with, you can tell the people who work there are happy — and you just know they’re killing it from quarter to quarter on their earnings report. Even during COVID-19, they’ve kept on trucking. The secret they know is that one great employee equals three average employees, and it’s cheaper to pay superstars 150% or more of the average industry wage to keep them around. What would it look like if all your employees were superstars? For starters, you might have weathered the pandemic better. Those kinds of employees are flexible problem-solvers who roll with whatever is thrown their way, and they stick around through tough times. On the flip side, if you saw people quit, I doubt they were all that happy or adding value in the first place. But how do you stop other employees from following in their footsteps? To make employee transitions easier, try the open exit. Under this plan, employees notify their manager when they start looking for a new job, sometimes months in advance. This allows you to keep their schedule flexible for interviews, and they can use you as a reference. In turn, during times of turnover — like the pandemic — you’ll have 6–8 weeks to find and train
their replacement, and your business won’t be short-staffed while you ramp up a new hire. Ideally, that new person is at full capacity by the time the old employee actually walks out. It pays to show the love. That can be tricky with remote workers, but good pay is one good way to do it. Benefits are another: Resist the urge to make your remote employees contractors! But don’t neglect the small things, either. A birthday card or note of appreciation in the mail can make all the difference. It’s tempting to view the flexibility of remote work as a reward in and of itself. But do your systems allow for true flexibility, or do they keep your employees stuck at a desk or constantly on the phone? Streamlining your business, with employee input, is something we should all be doing. Many books and training programs have other ideas on this topic. Try “Uncontainable: How Passion, Commitment, and Conscious Capitalism Built a Business Where Everyone Thrives” by Kip Tindell. I also recommend “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Passion, Profits, and Purpose” by Tony Hsieh. Finally, D.H. Hansson and Jason Fried’s “Remote: Office Not Required” is required reading for anybody doing business remotely these days.
It’s anyone’s guess what 2021 has in store, but no matter what it is, you can’t afford unhappy employees. Read up, and then level up your business.
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