period of several weeks, working side by side with co-workers to understand workflows, the depart- ment’s responsibilities, and how they fit together. Without some sort of structured onboarding program, new hires will naturally gravitate to like-minded individuals who will use their opinions, good or bad, to make sure they know “how things really work around here.”


Training When the downturn hit, many companies scrapped their training programs, if they existed at all. Com- panies with strong cultures recognized training and employee development could not be curtailed. Although training programs come in many types and flavors, training of front-line supervisors and manag- ers is, in my opinion, the most critical. An employee’s job satisfaction is in direct correlation to the quality of their direct supervisor. It’s critically important they are well trained in how they carry out the HR pro- cesses and policies of your company.


Meaningful topics might include time manage- ment, how to conduct performance appraisals, team building, conflict resolution, talent selection and interviewing, and business professionalism. In my experience, the best results are experienced when training is conducted by a trainer or consultant from outside your company. This is an investment that will pay dividends through leadership development and reduced turnover.


Employee Communication One of the most important responsibilities of leader- ship is effective communication with employees. Most employees want to know what is going on, and there are many ways to do this. Make sure to inform your staff of company events, new employees and custom- ers, important changes for the business, meaningful financial metrics, and most importantly, messages of gratitude from clients and employees. Communica- tions should occur on a fixed schedule in a way that ensures employees in different work environments (office vs. shop) are able to access it.


A second level of employee communication involves financial transparency. Many companies keep revenue and profitability closely guarded, but pro- gressive companies train employees to understand basic financial concepts and regularly report revenue, margin, spoilage, and performance against budget and plan. This is most effectively conveyed in a quar- terly staff or “town hall” meeting. Over time, employ- ees will gain an understanding of what it takes to be profitable and their part in ensuring that you are.


Employee Performance Appraisals The tradition in our industry is to conduct an employee review once a year—maybe. Nothing will demoralize a new employee faster than being told they’ll get a review and for them not to get it or have it occur late. Once a year isn’t nearly often enough. The focus should be more on achieving goals and looking forward and less on what happened in the past. To effectively do this, supervisors and managers need more frequent interface with employees, preferably two or three times per year.


Wellness In the past decade, employee wellness program pop- ularity has exploded. While primarily seen as a way to control and reduce health care costs, improving the health and well-being of your employees should be your goal. Education around nutrition, fitness, smoking cessation, and stress reduction—which are foundational elements of all wellness programs—pro- vides a meaningful and positive impact on the lives of your employees. You can’t put a price on that.


Conclusion These “processes” are just a very small sampling of employee engagement and culture building tools at every company’s disposal, but represent some of the most important, baseline practices that can have a profound impact. Consider the ones that resonate and get busy boosting your company’s culture.


Steve will explore this topic in greater depth in his presenta- tion “Lessons from the Front Lines—Real World Tactics to Elevate Culture and Boost Employee Engagement” at the Continuous Improvement Conference in April.


The Magazine 11 3.2017


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