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job, even two months in advance, and we could be flexible with their schedule to help them go to job interviews, and they could even use us as a reference?” Since implementing this policy this year, we have received two weeks’ notice from only one employee. That is not to say that others haven’t quit, but they have all given us more than two weeks’ notice. On average, we are getting about six weeks’ notice before someone quits, which allows us to find and replace them before they leave. By creating a fun and productive environment where people are happy and their hard work is rewarded, you can actually afford to not only pay more but to also increase benefits, all while actually making more money. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but it’s the truth. At The Newsletter Pro, we’ve been actively working to create an amazing culture and hiring only superstars for several years now. It hasn’t always been easy, and we’ve made many mistakes along the way. We’ve seen payroll and benefit expenses increase. But we’ve also seen that, by taking great care of the people who take care of our customers, profits have increased as well. Literally entire books and training programs have been written on the topic of creating an amazing culture. If you’re looking for a few good reads to start the process of developing an amazing place to work for you and your team, try “Uncontainable” by Kip Tindell and “Delivering Happiness” by Tony Hsieh. Steve Browne’s “HR on Purpose: Developing Deliberate People Passion” is awesome, too, and was one of Amazon’s Best Business and Leadership Books of 2018.
“WE’VE ALSO SEEN THAT, BY TAKING GREAT CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO TAKE CARE OF OUR CUSTOMERS, PROFITS HAVE INCREASED AS WELL.”
timer’s syndrome. Those people suck, right? As a business owner, you typically only tolerate this behavior because you need time to find a replacement. But what about generally unhappy employees? How productive do you think they are? Just because they haven’t quit doesn’t mean you’re getting 100%. Does it really have to be this way? Why can’t we create a place where people enjoy coming to work and enjoy their fellow employees so much that they want to do their best? If you create a set of values and hire people who are aligned with those values, you will end up with a group of somewhat like-minded people who are working toward a common goal. This is the start of creating an environment that people want to be in and enjoy coming to. One of the most difficult times for us as a company is when people quit. In our hiring process, two weeks isn’t enough time to find and train a good replacement. Heck, it isn’t even enough time for us to find a replacement. One day, I asked myself, “Why is it that people only give two weeks’ notice?” The majority of the time, they know they are going to quit before their two weeks’ notice. So, I asked another question: “What if we created an open-exit policy, where someone could let us know they are starting to look for a new ONE OF OUR CRAZY POLICIES
team member or a superstar? Personally, I’d happily pay a superstar more, as I know from experience that my 50% in extra costs equals two or three times that in productivity, care, and savings from not having to hire and train a few new employees because I lost the superstar. One similarity between all of the above companies, and a massive focus here at The Newsletter Pro, is culture. Shouldn’t work be a place you and your team members enjoy coming to? Creating a culture you enjoy and bringing in like-minded employees to work with you just makes sense to me. Since we have started making The Newsletter Pro’s culture stronger, I enjoy coming to the office more than I did before. Every office has a culture, and you have the choice to mold and shape it or just let it happen to you. I work with a number of dental offices, and a common complaint is gossip. Gossip has become part of their cultures because no one is leading; it just developed as an acceptable part of company culture.
If I can help in any way, feel free to email me at Shaun.Buck@thenewsletterpro.com.
–Shaun
P.S. I feel so strongly about the power of building relationships with your prospects, clients, and employees that I wrote a new book about it. We’re hosting a world premiere event on the most notorious customer service-related holiday of the year: Black Friday. This year, that’s Friday, Nov. 29. Watch for more info on how to join me and get a FREE copy of my new book, “Stop Losing Customers.”
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT EMPLOYEE HAPPINESS
Wouldn’t you agree that a happy employee is a productive employee? One of the easiest examples of an unhappy employee is someone who puts in their two-week notice and then develops short-
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