888-720-8889 PHONE
905-354-3949 FAX
High turnover continues to be the number one issue facing the Towing Industry today. Within the next 5 to 10 years, this problem will be compounded by a shrinking pool of workers to draw from as the baby boomers move into their 40s and 50s. Can we treat those workers the same as we did yesterday's workforce?
If turnover remains high, and we want young drivers, there will be a smaller pool to choose from. Where will these drivers come from? Perhaps it's time we shifted our focus from hiring to Retention.
Another way this will affect us is that older workers are much more conscious of health issues, especially as they are more likely to be married and require, or should I say desire, health, dental, and disability benefits. Offering a quality benefits program is a good way to attract and retain drivers.
Not only does high turnover cost us in increased training costs, lower productivity, and increased damage claims, it will affect us much more in the future when there are no new drivers to hire to replace those leaving. We need to act, and act now. We need to aggressively look after our "older" drivers. Offering health plans is a positive step in the right direction.
How much does a quality benefits program cost? If you split the cost with your staff, a good program should cost you roughly 1.5% of payroll, or less than 1% of your total operating budget. If you are paying more, you need to review your program. Can you afford 1% to keep your staff 100% longer?
· Great drivers and dispatchers are hard to find. This problem will get worse, not better, in the next few years. There are days that we all feel like we need to do everything in our business.
· If you were able to find a way to attract a better class of worker, and find a way to get them to stay longer, would you do it?
· We need to focus our efforts more towards finding the right people. Find good people, spend time training them, then keep them. Will this reduce your stress and increase your profit?... You bet it will!
· Where will our industry be in 5 years? Who knows. What makes a good company profitable? What is our biggest strength? What is our product?
· Our product is, always has been, and always will be our people. Our people provide service, not our equipment. Would you rather have a great operator in a '52 International or a putz in a '98 3500HD representing your business? It is your choice.
· Keep this in mind...Those who know their product succeed. Know your product, know your strength, and do something to keep your people.