Tonight I have two guests in the studio. With me are Karl and Brenda Corbett, principals in Sasha Corporation. They are accomplished authors and trainers. Sasha is a nationally recognized consulting firm focused on employee retention of front line staff. The firm's audio and video training is used by the US Embassies, UPS, Sprint and Mellon Financial, to name a few. Consulting efforts have reduced clients' employee turnover by as a much as, get this . . .eighty per cent.Tonight, you'll want to stay with us and hear their insights and their secrets on how you can retain and motivate your employees.
 

Karl, Brenda, welcome to Success Radio. It's good to have you. Tonight we're going to uncover all your secrets, the things business owners need to know and understand, all about how to retain those ''hard-to-come-by'' good employees.
 

Karl Corbett (K) : As you mentioned, we deal with employee retention, and we specialize in front line staff retention. There are quite a few consultants who deal with upper level management, top performers, sales staff and the like. We deal with the people that make the goods and deliver the services, and teach employers how to keep them on the job, which means lower costs, higher quality and better customer service.
 

T: When we talk about these front line employee, they are obviously important.
 

K: Well, the front line employee is the bulk of anybody's staff and they seem to get the least attention.
 

T: Hmmmm, isn't that odd? Don't they get paid the most ? (laughs)
 

Brenda Corbett (B): Not really, Tammy. (laughs) Management often does not realize how vitally important front line workers are. They are the ones that talk to the customers. They are the ones that make and break a company, determine whether a customer going to come back. Everybody I know has a story about someone who didn’t treat them nicely in a restaurant or at a hotel, for instance, and quite honestly, those front line employee don’t get the attention and respect they deserve.
 

T: Why don’t you share with us some of the costs involved in employee turnover. I know in the literature some of those statistics are astounding.

K: Well, an internal report by McDonald's just released within the past few months, indicated that poor service on the front lines is costing McDonald's over two million dollars a day.
 

B: We have a lot of companies that do not realize the indirect costs as well. Those are costs such as how much the HR department is being paid to just rehire and interview, or operational costs, damage to equipment, or worker's compensation. Those things don’t have a line item on the financial statement. It gets to be really tricky. People can't say "Oh,  so THAT'S how much employee turnover is costing me".
 

We can give them all kinds of statistics with numbers ranging from 33% to 200% of an employee's annual salary. It is hard to convince somebody. In hospitals and nursing homes, they do have a line item, called agency staff. And those are folks they have to hire because they are short staffed. There, we can say, "Look at that number".
 

T:Just to clarify to the people listening who might not be in health care: An agency worker is a professionally trained temporary worker. They come on and get paid a higher salary, without the frills and perks an employee might get. The expense associated with an agency, a temporary employee is so much higher than if you had somebody, first of all, working in the company that is loyal and wants to see that company grow, looking at retiring from there. 
 

B: Morale changes the day a temporary employee walks in. It is really not the same. Employees are asking: "How come that person doesn’t care about the people like I do?".
 

T: You talk about the cost, that goes along with morale, too. Full time employees that stick around are so valuable in terms of morale for the rest of the staff.
 

K: So at Sasha Corporation, we help employers keep their front line workers on the job and keep them happy. When a company understands the incredible cost of employee turnover, when they believe the problem can actually be solved, then we can come in and make some things happen. Through training, developing systems, consulting, motivational speaking, coaching and the like. 
 

T: You really hit me with something I wasn't expecting tonight and that is the whole' up front selling piece that you have to do. You'd think that people watching the revolving door realizing what the impact is. You shouldn't need to go in and convince them on the front end before they are willing to address it. I hadn't thought about that. We are going to learn some of these tips from Sasha Corporation when we come back from the break.
 

BREAK
 

T: Welcome back to Success Radio. We are making it happen right here with Sasha Corporation. They do things to help their clients put retention programs into place, integrating human nature with the organizational structure. That sounds very interesting. If you have questions for Sasha Corporation, call us at (phone number). We are going to go ahead and take our first call tonight. Hi, Rich: Welcome to success radio, what is your question?

K:Well, Rich, you have most of the problem solved because you have identified the problem and you genuinely intend to solve it. Brenda just wrote an article about training older employees in new technology.
 

B:One of the most important things we have seen with older employees is that they have important knowledge and they are excellent mentors. This is where we really get into our mentor program, how to pair an older employee with a younger person. You are saying, "Wait a minute, it's the younger guy who knows the technology". We'd say this: the older employee can teach the young guy a ton of things, before the technology comes into place. Once the older employee feels like they have established themselves in a working relationship with this young person, then the young guy can come in and say 'Let's make this a perfect relationship, why don't we do some technology and talk about exactly what is needed there."

Joe:I appreciate the help. That's a great idea. Thank you. 

B: The employer has to take full responsibility to train the people they hire. That is what we are sometimes missing, just saying "Hey, you matter here." Think about the person who comes in on their first day, with their sweater in one hand and their lunch bag in the other. They go to the fridge and they open the fridge and there is nowhere to put it. They go to their locker and their key does not work. The employer is sending such a message: "We don't really care if you have a place to put your sweater". But I care as a front line worker, because if I don't have a place to put my sweater, how can I do what I have to do? So it's that basic sometimes. 
 

T:I have horror stories too. Orientation that makes no sense. Bosses on the agenda that don’t show up to meet and greet people. 

K: When people visit our website, www.sashacorp.com , one of the facts you will find out there is this: 85% of the people who leave their job are doing so because there is someone they don't get along with, many times it is their front line supervisors.
 

B: Here's how we address that. We have created front line supervisor training called the Missing Link. We give supervisors tools for handling employee relations. So many times, front line staff are thrown into a position of being a supervisor without the tools, real live things to do day to day, to help with an angry employee, to help with an employee who is being non productive, an employee who is taking everything personally. Without the tools, our supervisors are left saying: 'Help ! I am sinking.". So that is the key right there. Without workable tools, front line supervisors won't succeed. They can't make it just by saying " I have to be a better boss". Employers have to provide the tools that create that better boss.
 

T:Welcome back and let's take our next caller, Karen.Welcome to Success Radio. 

The executive quickly backed off and went looking for another worker. “What are you doing?” he asked the second worker. “I’m shaping these boulders into different forms, which are assembled according to the architect’s plan. It’s hard work and it sometimes gets repetitive, but I earn a good wage and that supports my family. It’s a job and it could be worse.” 
 

Somewhat encouraged, he went to a third worker. “What are you doing?” he asked, “Why, can’t you see?” Beamed the worker as he lifted his arms to the sky. “I’m building a cathedral!”
 

To get younger employee to "buy in" to your mission, you have to talk about why it matters. These young people have to understand why it matters that I pack the eggs on top. It's about constant communication, and listening to the people that work for you. It involves everything from scheduling them the times they want to saying "Hey, you are doing a great job bagging, Bob. I'm glad you're here today." That is missing in so many companies. 
 

T: Good point

Doug: It's all service. I own a small service company. 
 

K: Okay, I will tell you. It is all a matter of communication. First, expressing genuinely what you believe about customer service and the importance of doing a good job, and doing it consistently. Here's a story you might pass on to your front line workers:
 

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his boss about his plans to leave the home building business and live a quiet life with his wife, enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but they'd get by.
 

The contractor was sorry to see his best worker go. "Terry", he asked," We've worked together 23 years. Before you go, will you build just one more house, as a personal favor?" The carpenter agreed, but his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship, took shortcuts, he used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. The builder came to inspect the house, gave it a quick walk through and then handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house, Terry." he said, "My gift to you and your wife." 
 

Every day, with everything we do, we are hammering another nail, we are placing another board in our future. It is not about the customer or the product you deliver, it is about the life that you are building for yourself. Perhaps that story will be of some help.
 

Doug: That's great. Thank you.

T:You know it is also amazing, Brenda, how much meaning people put into the things you do and the things you don't do. People all the time assign meaning to our policies, our behavior, at least what they can see of it. Other times, we'll do things and not talk about it, and people are totally oblivious. We waste a lot of time and energy. When you are saying "Get to know your employees.", that is very hard, but it's a very genuine thing to do. People will notice that. 

B:We have to address that motivator: Personal Issues. We talk to our clients, and we teach supervisors about sympathy and empathy. We tell them: "Learn to listen, and learn not to give advice". But sympathy and empathy are really not that useful in a working environment. You can listen without getting too involved. Hear someone’s problems out, simply let them talk. Then help people solve the problems themselves. Don’t solve the problem for them. Don’t fall into the trap that says: "This person needs me to help carry their burdens." You don’t need to, as a supervisor, carry that guys problem. Be aware of the problems, and that's most of the battle.

T:I think that is one place that supervisors and managers, owners of businesses find themselves "in too deep", in a role they were not expecting when they get the job. They don’t really understand that ‘arm chair’ therapist job that they really do have. They really try and distance themselves saying I don’t want to get involved, I don’t want to hear this. It makes me uncomfortable. But you're telling them : Be there. Listen. Get into it, but keep a balance. That is some of the best advice I have heard. 

B: If they could just realize, if they taught their employees a little, these people would stop coming in the office. It takes time, but you can teach people to answer their own questions. You can empower your people.

T:We are talking about how to retain employees, especially good front line workers. Our guests are from Sasha Corporation and you can find more at their website: www.sashacorp.com or by phone at (513) 232-0002. Let's take our next call. Duane, welcome to Success Radio. What is your question for our guests?
 

Duane: I love the topic, Karl and Brenda, with regards to letting your front line workers share their personal issues. I am just curious. Is there such a thing as going too far? I have a problem with front line employees, bringing their problems to work. What is my obligation as far as helping them, without crossing over the line, to their personal lives. 

B: Absolutely nothing wrong with it. You know what, the more you can acknowledge the reality your staff lives in, the more they are going to stick with you. They say: "People don’t care how much you know . . . . until they know how much you care. " 
 

K: Help one employee to be successful in their life, as well as their job with you. The rest of your employees are going to notice that. You are going to build up a bank of loyalty that is going to pay for itself many times over. 
 

B: Smucker's has a phenomenal philosophy about dealing with personal issues. One of their employees had a husband dying of cancer. They gave her a parking spot right outside the exit where she worked on the assembly line. Anytime she needed to leave to go see her husband, she could go. They're always rated one of the top places to work because of that attitude.
 

T:That really is great. Duane, thank you for your call. 

T: We're out of time, but I must say, it's been a pleasure.
 

For organizations that really care about customer service, lower costs, employee morale: I'd recommend a call to Sasha Corporation at (513) 232-0002 or a visit to www.sashacorp.com . Sasha Corporation is ready to talk to you about creating a better workplace. Thanks, Karl and Brenda Corbett, for being with us tonight. This is Tammy Wynne, signing off for Success Radio on 550 KRC.