Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine June 2018

News Magazine June 2018

FEATURE STORY

path—and arrive at that path. Remember that you do not have to pay a person to attend a night class. It is part of their own investment in their future. If you require it, well, you may have to pay; but, if it is optional but valuable to their growth within the company, pay not be required. Fourth, Develop a Purpose-Driven Mission Statement Here’s one that we usually minimize or completely forget. Creating a mission statement is simply stating what your company is about. What is your company about? If it is only about getting out there and fixing air conditioning, it’s kind of mundane. Not much to get excited about. What makes you different from the many others in your area? Are you the fastest, the cheapest, the best, the ….? You and your employees need to know what you are about so they can embrace and be proud of what you do. Everyone in the HVACR industry needs to understand the difference between features and benefits. OK, maybe the customer wants their home to maintain 72 degrees on the hottest summer day. Why is that important to them? That is what your mission is about. Do they have a challenged child that gets agitated when the temperature is too warm? Maybe they have a person with emphysema and the air needs to be cool and crisp for them to breath more easily. A commercial freezer needing attention can be the difference between a profitable year and one that barely survives. It can be about employee security and healthy food for the grocery customer. Do you maintain a surgical

room or hospital—a classroom or theater? First an employee needs to understand and be proud of the work they do and then they need to know, endorse, and reinforce the brand of the company. Create a mission statement that’s authentic, true to your brand, and purpose-driven. Help them be proud of the company and what they do. Fifth, Give Your Company an In-Person Presence. Millennials like to see your company represented in the marketplace and the community. Be present at hiring fairs and community functions. This is broader than just being seen. This is participating—not just in the community but also in their lives. Know them, appreciate them, re-inforce them. Regardless of the amount of online activity that Millennials are involved in, Facebook, Twitter, You-Tube, etc, there is no substitute for a physical, in person, handshake, pat on the back, recognition of a job well done, a conversation about their family or hobby. It says you care— about them. It says that even the newest employee is part of your business family. Especially if you are a family business, each employee needs to feel that they are part of the “business family.” They need to know that they also have a future at your company. And remember, without them, you’d have no business. So, everyone says that Millennials bring a different set of skills, interests, and wants; but, do they really? Have we talked about anything that is that