It is said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In business today, companies seem to ignore the weakest link with a laser focus on the financial bottom line. We have become so obsessed with the numbers and results that we are losing sight of the human aspects of business. Loyalty between companies and workers seems to have become a thing of the past. I used to wonder if this is just the way it has to be for companies to be competitive in a capitalist society.
I met recently with a client who is a very successful business owner. He shared his business and life philosophies that are the basis for his success. He runs a roofing company and says he has very little employee turnover. I asked him how he achieves this in a field with a historically high turnover rate, particularly for the least-skilled and lowest-paying positions. He said he lets his roofers work more overtime in the summer when business is good, unlike other companies in the industry which increase hiring in the summer to avoid having to pay overtime. Then, my client said that he keeps these workers on staff for various jobs even when business is slow in the winter. He spoke about the value of these lower level employees and what they mean to his company – how hard it is for them to be on these roofs during the hot, humid D.C. summers and how much he appreciates their hard work. He described how difficult it is for them to put food on the table during the slow winter months, and how his way of operating makes sure they are respected and treated fairly.
As I listened to him I realized there was a passion in his voice which could only come from someone who had been up on those roofs during those hot days and was forced to survive on nearly nothing during those slow winter months. He and his brother built this company together from the ground up, and they put their own blood, sweat and tears into it. He spent plenty of time on a sweltering roof in the summertime. It was my client’s own experiences doing these tough jobs that made up his mind to look after and respect those at the bottom.
In return he built a hugely successful company that enjoys some of the lowest turnover in the business. He saves himself money in turnover-related costs, sure, but there is a bigger gain from all of this. Since he is loyal to them, his workers are loyal to him. They show up when they need to, and they work hard. My client has developed a unique company culture which fuels his success, not by drilling down on the bottom line but by remembering the human aspect of business.
Have a great weekend,
Ro