Times, they are a-changing. And that means you, as an employer, need to change with them if you want to keep your employees loyal to your contracting company.

Why You Need Help Improving Your Approach to Your Employees

In the “old” days, employees went to work, punched a card into a timeclock, worked their shifts, and punched out again.

Back then, it didn’t matter what employees thought. Bosses expected perfect work, regular attendance and loyalty to the company until an employee turned 65.

Today, employees want more engagement and a positive corporate culture if their bosses want them to stay with the company for the long-term. Studies show that Millennials and GenXers want more say in their work lives. And if they can’t, these employees will go someplace else.

Right now, it’s an employee-market, and bosses need to learn new ways to create a company culture that meets their employees’ needs.

11 Tips to Help You Grow as a Contracting Business

Fortunately, there are some handy tips you can employ right now to make your company’s culture more employee-friendly.
Here are those 11 tips:

1. Employees want good bosses over good companies: That’s not to say that employees want to work for a corrupt business. It means that today’s workers want bosses who are empathetic, respectful and worthy of trust.
2. Employees leave bad bosses: If you want to keep your employees, you should avoid the following bad boss traits:
   • Micromanaging
   • The blame game
   • Bad-mouthing your employees
   • Not allowing your employees to learn and develop in the company.
3. Employees stay in their jobs longer when they have a good boss: Research shows that employees have higher job satisfaction when bosses mentor, show empathy and trust their teams. Here are some other vital characteristics:
   • Great bosses empower their teams
   • Great managers appreciate their workers
   • Great leaders foster a positive team spirit. 
4. Company culture is big: Do you like going into a hostile or cold environment? Neither do your employees. Good workers stick with their employers when there is a positive corporate culture. One study showed that 43% of employees would leave their jobs if the company’s culture were toxic.
5. People like flexibility in their jobs: When you provide flextime or allow your workers to work remotely, you’ll find satisfied workers. Most people working for contractors can’t work remotely, but there are other ways to incorporate flexibility into employees’ schedules. Employees want a balance between work and their personal lives.
6. The survey says: According to a FlexJobs’ study, 76% of employees rather not work in the office. Instead, they prefer to work in places that allow them to get work done. What does this mean for you as a contractor? You can let your employees finish their daily paperwork remotely. You can invest in software to help your employees complete their timesheets, job site reports and other end-of-day deskwork through their mobile devices.
7. Your employees are curious: Your team members want to grow in their jobs, and they’re lifelong learners. As a contractor, you can provide apprenticeships and other learning opportunities for your team members. 
8. Attract millennials with technology: One study found that 70% of 2,000 millennials would quit their jobs if their company doesn’t have high performing, fast technology. How can you apply the newest apps and software into your landscape contracting business? You can provide programmed mobile devices, so your employees don’t need to fill out timesheets and other paperwork anymore. They can use these devices in the field to record real-time data too.
9. The gig economy is gaining steam: Since your sprinkler system work is seasonal, you have an advantage over other businesses. Younger employees want to work short-term so that they can pursue higher paying jobs. You could have teachers who want to supplement their income over the summer working in your water sprinkler contracting business.
10. A better boss and a better job are more important than money: Millennials aren’t in a hurry to get married and start a family. So, these workers don’t mind changing jobs if it means that they’ll have more flexibility in their work.
11. Most employees—especially the good ones—won’t stay with a company if their future looks bleak: In one study, 76% of workers would be job-hunting if they didn’t feel valued in their current jobs. Plus, employees will look for other jobs if they believe they can’t advance in their current one.

What All of This Information Means to You

There’s no doubt that employers can’t hold onto good employees for the long haul. And employers are finding that it’s challenging to find good employees who show up for work on time and give their all while at work.

However, if you think you need to tweak how you work with your team members or there are things you can change internally, then go for it. There are books, coaches and courses that will help you and the company’s administrators create a more positive company culture.

Why You Need K-Rain to Grow Your Irrigation Contracting Company

We aren’t executive coaches, and we don’t hold team-building retreats, but we do offer a Premier Contracting Program so that you can grow your irrigation contracting business.

You earn money every time you order our sprinkler system products. Enroll your contracting company with our Premier Contractor Program today. You simply need to fill out our contact form.

Sources:
Flexjobs.com, “Survey: 76% Avoid the Office for Important Tasks.”
Hyacinth, Brigette, “A Good Boss is Better than a Good Company.”
Medium.com, “Why Employees Quit: 20 Stats Employers Need to Know.”