Chem-Dry CEO Offers Employee-Retention Advice to Inc. Magazine Readers

Getting and keeping the best employees is a battle for businesses of any size, and of significant interest to Chem-Dry and other franchise owners

When an employer talks about “human capital,” he or she is referring to their workforce. That’s a puzzle to some small-business owners, but savvy Chem-Dry carpet cleaning franchise owners know how to maximize their human capital by hiring and retaining the best employees.

That’s because they often have learned this valuable business by operating other businesses, and certainly from being employees themselves. They also get a lot of advice from Chem-Dry’s senior management team, including President and CEO Dan Tarantin, who along with other national business leaders gave an interview on the subject to Inc. magazine. 

Smart franchise owners support staff

The article, 6 Things the Smartest Leaders Do to Hire and Keep Great Employees, 

offered tips on attracting and keeping smart, dedicated employees. Tarantin’s suggestion? Continuously check in with staff to see how things are going.

Once you officially hire your highly sought out employee, carve out time quarterly to sit down with them to temperature-check their experience, he recommends. Are they happy and challenged in their roles? Are there things you could be doing that would help them to be more productive or more effective? The articles notes that allowing for honest and regular (not once a year) communication on their performance, accomplishments, and development opportunities will demonstrate that not only does their performance matter to you, but their professional growth and happiness matter as well.

Be willing to listen to concerns, needs

Tarantin explained that a business owner should be able to determine which employees are looking for more opportunity and possess a growth mindset for themselves and also for the business.

“Give those individuals added responsibility, expose them to more areas of the business, empower them with the necessary tools needed to succeed, and have them report back,” he said, because this will build a culture of recognizing, rewarding and supporting people who want to step up and increase their impact on the business.  

“Making sure they understand the value of what they do for the company and how they fit into the big picture is immensely valuable,” he pointed out.

“For Tarantin, so much of retention lies in employees feeling appreciated, valued and respected in the workplace,” the article said, adding his advice on fostering a culture of respect and employee value by creating a work environment that practices the following principles or tasks on a regular basis: 

•       Continuous constructive feedback
•       Recognition for outstanding work or results
•       Demonstrating the impact that the company’s work has on its customers
•       Encouraging creativity and risk-taking
•       Creating a committee to brainstorm and plan company activities and gatherings

Chem-Dry is the world’s largest carpet and upholstery cleaning franchise with more than 3,000 franchises in more than 55 countries, serving 11,000 homes and businesses a day. Chem-Dry has been Entrepreneur magazine’s top-rated carpet cleaning franchise for 32 straight years. The Chem-Dry Hot Carbonating Extraction process delivers a faster-drying, deeper and more environmentally friendly clean that appeals to home and business owners. In addition to carpet and area rugs, Chem-Dry provides cleaning and renewal services for tile and stone, granite countertops, leather and upholstery, air ducts and dryer vents. 

Learn more about the Chem-Dry carpet cleaning franchise opportunity

For in-depth details about the Chem-Dry carpet cleaning franchise opportunity, download our Free Franchise Opportunity Report. You can also learn more by visiting our research pages.