Key Takeaways
The Lowdown
Finding reliable workers is tough, but you might already have them on your team! Create a culture of employee recognition in your company to keep quality staff.
How can employee recognition improve retention rates for home service providers?
Iron sharpens iron. Employee recognition fosters a sense of value and belonging, making staff feel appreciated for their individual contributions, which can lead to higher retention rates.
What role do service awards play in building emotional bonds with frontline staff?
Awards guarantee good vibes. Service awards acknowledge long-term commitment and hard work, reinforcing emotional connections and loyalty among employees by celebrating their dedication publicly.
Why is public recognition important for frontline staff in home service businesses?
Praise in public, always. Public recognition boosts morale and enhances team dynamics, as employees feel valued by their peers, which strengthens emotional bonds and encourages a supportive workplace culture.
How can business owners effectively implement sincere recognition practices?
Sincerity is the face of the soul. Business owners can implement sincere recognition by being specific in their praise, publicly celebrating achievements in staff meetings, and maintaining a humble approach that values every employee’s contributions.
Outline
Introduction – Good People Need Recognition
Finding and keeping dependable technicians has become one of the biggest challenges in home services today. While competitive pay matters, employee recognition is often the deciding factor in whether great workers stay or start looking elsewhere. When owners and managers consistently recognize effort, attitude, and results, they build loyalty, morale, and a team that wants to stick around.
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Consider Employee Recognition Programs
Mary Kay Ash, Founder of Mary Kay Ash Cosmetics said “There are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise.” I count four very strong “wants” (desires) in Mary Kay’s quote. And yet, I’m guessing YOUR #1 business desire/ want/ need is finding committed, hardworking and (most of all) reliable employees!
This ongoing recruiting quest for quality workers is brutal in today’s hiring crisis. But wait! You likely already have these reliable employees… already working for you!👍👍
Your mission? To KEEP the trained, reliable people already working in your business from leaving your employ! Sure, your employees should be paid very well.💲 However, it is even more important to build an emotional bond with your workers! Here’s one reminder…
Consistently give sincere employee recognition and praise!
REMEMBER: Even with the very best recruiting and employee selection systems hiring is still… a total crap shoot!😲 Sure, you’ll get state-of-the-art “Hiring Funnels” and job candidate sorting/verification systems in my “Hiring the Very Best” seminars. But even with all my hiring resources- keeping your time-tested employees from quitting is your best strategy! So let’s get started with …
Employee Recognition Guidelines
1. Be “specific”. Generic “attaboys” will quickly be dismissed as patronizing, shallow fluff.🙄 Instead, in the immortal words of Zig Ziglar, “Become a ‘Mr. Good Finder’!” Actively look for specific actions that you can give employee recognition for. Now if you want “extra credit” with your employees (who doesn’t?) always try to…
2. “Praise in public”. This can be as simple as sincerely saying “Thank you”🙏 to a worker within earshot of other employees. Or you can ratchet it up a bit by calling out to their co-workers with, “Hey everybody, did you see the neat idea Joe came up with here?” NOTE: Be careful to not promote competition or jealousy with this praise. And the ultimate employee recognition trick is to…
Give a shout-out to a deserving person in a staff meeting! (You do have regular employee meetings, don’t you?) Once again, be specific, give them an appropriate gift if you wish and then lead a round of applause for this no-doubt glowing worker!
3. Be “sincere”. You really can’t fake this stuff. I would often reflect on the (in my opinion) “unfounded faith” my employees put in my “ready-fire-aim” leadership style. They literally were trusting little, old scared me to provide for them and their families. It was, and still is to this day, truly humbling which leads me to…
4. Stay “humble”. Sure, we all put on a front of success. After all, homeowners want to deal with successful, well known companies. The danger is when we as owners or managers start to believe our own publicity.😲 This leads to owner complacency and/or arrogance which inevitably leads to turned-off employees bailing out on you!😥 (More on this topic in a future KickStart!)
Now a personal appeal: Hopefully this KickStart blog post on employee recognition has resonated with you. But please, don’t just think, “Wow, that Steve Toburen knows his stuff/ is a great writer, etc.” (Aw shucks!)😊 And then you move on to your next business crisis!
Instead, here’s your mission, soldier! Give an employee “sincere recognition and praise” ASAP! See how they respond- felt pretty good, right? NOW you can say, “Thank you, Steve!” 😎
Summary – Give Your Team Reasons To Stay
In a tight labor market, the smartest move you can make is protecting the talent you already have. Employee recognition doesn’t require complicated programs or big budgets—just sincere, specific praise delivered consistently and with humility. Make recognition a habit, and you’ll reduce turnover, strengthen trust, and build a team that takes pride in representing your company every day.