We’ve talked at great length about the importance of landing and keeping quality tenants, but what about your own team? Are you taking the appropriate measures to keep your employees happy and increase their job satisfaction? Turnover of staff is one of the most costly expenses in any business, and the property management industry is no exception. So what can you do to increase employee loyalty and improve the chances that your team will be in it for the long haul? Here are some helpful tips to get you started.
Reward good work
When is the last time you recognized your assistant for all those extra hours she’s been putting in or pointed out what a great job one of your team members did on getting that big property rented out? It seems like a rather simple concept, but given the fast paced and often chaotic nature of our business, it’s easy to let these little things slip by unrecognized. If you want your employees to enjoy working for you and to value the role they play within your organization, you have to make a point to show them you appreciate them. Even if it’s a simple ‘thank you’ or an email letting them know you noticed the good work they’ve been producing, it’ll go a long way toward fostering employee loyalty.
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Arm them with tools to make their jobs easier
Who wants to do a job that takes hours and hours and involves repetitive, manual tasks over and over and over? Especially when there are plenty of tools available today that can eliminate these time wasters? Don’t make your team work harder than they have to just to do their jobs. Arm them with everything they need to become more efficient and productive. For instance, utilizing property management software will allow technology to do the heavy lifting, taking many of the repetitive tasks off the plates of your employees, and free them up to focus on more important business critical matters. They’ll appreciate the gesture and you’ll get a more productive workforce.
Empower them and make them feel valued
One of the most common complaints among unhappy employees is that they don’t feel like what they do makes an impact on the organization they work for. When you don’t feel as though your hard work matters, how can you truly devote yourself to doing an exceptional job? People want to feel as though their decisions and their day to day actions are important, and when they do, they become much more engaged and tied in to the company culture. Provide your team with appropriate training and encourage them to collaborate with each other and with management to help with important decisions. Show your employees that they are a part of the big picture, and they’ll strive to perform at their very best.
Take an interest in important events in their personal lives
It’s not necessarily a great idea to become too personally involved with your employees, but you should at least take an interest in the important events that occur in their lives. Keep track of birthdays, make note of weddings and other major events, and learn about their families. Think about it. How will it make your customer service rep feel when you wish her a happy anniversary or ask how her children are doing? It’s these personal touches that endear employees to the company for which they work and make them feel much more like a part of something bigger. When people feel tied into their employer, they’re much more likely to stay on, even when times get tough.
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Have fun and smile
Last, but certainly not least, don’t forget to smile and have a little fun from time to time. Sure, your schedule is hectic and you’re being pulled in several different directions at the same time, but it’s important that you take the time to release some tension and just relax a little. You don’t have to make the office like a circus, just have lunch catered once in a while and give employees a little break to socialize, or host a small get together outside of work to allow everyone to unwind, let their hair down and get to know one another on a more personal level. When your team sees that you’re willing to let down your guard and have a little fun every once in a while, they’ll relate more to you and become more loyal to the business as a whole.
Keeping your employees happy is just as important as retaining quality renters in your properties. After all, without a team of skilled, happy employees, your business would be nothing. By following these simple tips, you can help keep your workers satisfied and increase the chances of fostering a more loyal, long term workforce.
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Get the full scoop on How to Build an Extraordinary Property Management Team. Download our FREE RESOURCE GUIDE.
