Are your employees eyeing the exit? Here’s how to keep them.
Original article posted at Business of Home by Fred Nicolaus.
By now, this is old news: The pandemic has created an unprecedented demand for interior designers. It’s never been easier to get new projects. Finding (and keeping) people to work on those projects? That’s another story.
There’s nothing quite as disruptive as losing a top employee in the middle of a busy time. It’s safe to assume that most designers have already thought of the obvious way to avoid it: more money. Certainly, it isn’t a bad time to consider raises (especially if your fees have gone up) or revisit your benefits packages. But there’s a lot more to keeping employees than simply changing a digit on their paycheck.
MAKE TIME TO TALK
If there’s a golden rule to keeping your staff, it’s communication. That may seem obvious, but ask yourself honestly: When was the last time you sat down with an employee specifically to discuss how things were going? The need for regular check-ins has only gotten more important as many design firms have transitioned to remote or hybrid work arrangements, cutting down on a lot of the casual conversation that would happen naturally in an office.
CREATE A STRUCTURE, CLEAR A PATH
Though designers are increasingly embracing highly structured workflows for their projects, it’s still somewhat rare to find a residential firm with a clear hierarchy and a beefy employee handbook. That makes sense—it’s a little silly to set up an HR department and make an org chart for a team of four. However, the experts say, creating a little structure goes a long way toward keeping employees on board. “The small investment of time it takes to make a quick handbook and a little bit of HR structure is completely worth it,” says Clark.
HAND OVER REAL WORK
It’s simple: If you don’t let your designers do real design work, they will move on. This is obvious, yet it presents a huge challenge for many firms. Some principals are reluctant to hand over significant design work because they’re perfectionists and can’t let go. Others love design too much to delegate it. Others still are worried about the business angle—clients may not be satisfied with anything less than the name on the door. All of these reasons are valid. It’s a thorny problem that every design firm of a certain size has to face, and there is no silver bullet.
TEASE THE FUTURE
Job candidates today, says Clark, are looking for more than stable employment and a decent benefits package. They’re looking for opportunities to grow. If you’re hiring, it’s a great idea to let applicants know about where the firm is headed (and show off work that you can’t list on your public portfolio). For existing employees, don’t assume they know about what projects are in the works, the licensing deal you’re discussing, or your three-year plan to break into hospitality projects. Tell them.
DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY
A harsh reality: You may be doing everything right and still lose people. Even with regular check-ins, room to grow, great salaries, free parking, lobster for lunch and Champagne in the break room, employees might be hell-bent on starting their own firm or—and this one hurts—joining up with a competitor. Whatever you do, don’t take it personally.