TACA Conveyor - Winter 2007 - (Page 15) a small cash bonus right then and there. Kimley-Horn & Assoc., an engineering consultancy headquartered in Cary, NC, even allows fellow employees to reward one another with $50 bonuses. Employees not only enjoy the rewards themselves, but they also see that what they’re doing truly matters.” Seed #6: Get creative with benefits. You don’t have to provide your employees with onsite medical care and stateof-the-art fitness centers. In fact, you probably can’t. But do realize your employees are looking at benefits other than those that meet the norm—such as health insurance and a 401(k)—when considering the elusive “happiness” factor. These “normal” benefits are really the price of admission because employees can get them almost anywhere. It’s up to you to think outside the box and figure out the benefits that will well, benefit them the most. “There are many inexpensive ways to satisfy your employees; you just have to use your imagination,” says Sujansky. “Take a note from Qualcomm. In addition to offering an amazing healthcare package, the company caters dinner for employees who work late, a relatively inexpensive perk that is sure to please hungry, hardworking employees. Other options include providing access to drycleaning services, treating all of your employees to lunch once a week, or providing them with on-site educational programs delivered by local experts or company vendors in a wide variety of fields.” Seed #7: Be aware of the changing needs of your employees. Keep in mind that as your employees progress in life their needs change. After having a child, an employee may want to travel less than before the child was born. As your baby boomer employees get older, so do their parents. Be understanding when they need to take time off to take care of the health needs of Mom or Dad. And never give them a hard time when they need to take care of their own health issues. By understanding their changing needs, you show sensitivity to what’s going on in their lives. You demonstrate that you see them as people, not just cogs in the machine. Not only will you build loyalty with your employees, but you will help them bring stability to their personal lives—which means when they are at work they can place all of their focus on getting the job done. Seed #8: Realize that great employees thrive under great leaders. Your employees won’t leave you for that greener pasture unless you drive them to it. The buck starts and stops with their leaders. In fact it’s commonly said that employees don’t quit their job, they quit their manager. “Employees of great leaders will go to the ends of the earth to do a good job for them,” says Sujansky. “The flip side is that employees with poor leadership will simply go. The takeaway lesson? Pay attention to your front line managers. Keep a close eye on their relationships with employees and get rid of bad managers when necessary. If your Fuel Efficient. Call ROMCO Equipment Company for top of the line products from Volvo and Eagle Iron Works LONGVIEW (903) 758-5576 HOUSTON (800) 865-6998 (713) 937-3005 DALLAS (800) 227-6626 (214) 819-4100 RIO GRANDE VALLEY (956) 565-0100 BUFFALO AUSTIN (903) 322-5602 (877) 851-1026 (512) 388-2529 FT.WORTH SAN ANTONIO (800) 227-6626 (800) 966-4601 (817) 626-2288 (210) 648-4600 Dependable. TACA Conveyor • Winter 2007 7:26:58 PM 9/28/06 15 299778_ROMCO.indd 1 http://www.romco.com
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