Combatting Service Team Burnout

Combatting Service Team Burnout
By Mark Cukro, President of Plus One Consulting, Inc.

 

Technicians are exhausted, burnt out and need time to replenish, recover and re-energize. If you don’t do something about it, the shortage of techs will only get much worse. It is time to make changes that matter.

We all know that our technicians are the heartbeat of our service and commitment to take care of our residents and make our properties as successful as possible.

The pandemic and the past year have taken a serious toll on everyone onsite, and it is evident by employee turnover which specifically includes our Service Team members.

More than ever before, good technicians are hard to find, and the great ones are even more of a rare find. There is such a shortage, that when a great tech is available or looking for a new place of employment they are inundated with offers, messages from recruiters and almost always have a new place of employment immediately.

Far too often, technicians genuinely don’t feel as if they are valued and respected in the workplace. They hear it often, but don’t feel they experience it nearly enough, if at all.

It is one thing to tell an associate they are respected but it is an entirely different matter for them to experience it from their own perspective and feel as if it is true through deeds, not words. 

What does this mean?

Techs want to be spoken to with respect, they want the support of their team, and they do not want to be questioned as if every day is a series of interrogations about what they did or did not get accomplished.

They do want to let you know what is happening and keep you updated. Techs want the tools, equipment and supplies they need to do their job well. If a property has the same tools, equipment, and gauges they had 10 years ago, that is a serious concern.

Everything needs to be updated just like all the technology in the office and corporate office. Tools are technology and while some may last a long time, many need to be replaced and upgraded.

Associates don’t want to be “thrown under the bus” or used as scapegoats as to why something didn’t go a certain way. They should absolutely accept accountability but not have false blame placed upon them.

Believe me, techs want to look forward to going to work and take pride in what they do but nobody can operate in crisis mode 100% of the time.

There are plenty of companies that get it right, have exceptionally low turnover, or have a waiting list to be hired. What do they do differently?

Employees are treated as valuable contributors that have what they need to get the job done while meeting standards and it all starts with the hiring process. If you continually have high turnover or can’t fill positions, take a good look at the way you are finding and hiring associates and start there. Chances are there is significant room for improvement.

Recovery is part of training and required for performance. This is something you will often hear coaches of all disciplines say and it is as true as anything else you need to know about high performance.

You can’t be your best when you are burnt out. People will give you what is left of them when they are over-worked and stressed, and they will not be able to give you their best.

The team genuinely looks out for each other and does what needs to be done without stating what is in their job description. If someone needs help, they get it. Management supports their team members when they are in the room and when they are out of the room.

Internal customer service is just as important as external customer service and where there is low employee turnover, there is lower resident turnover.

It is time to reshape the industry and how we operate on every level and really take a thorough look at how we operate our service departments and make some needed changes.

If you want to see real results, you must provide realistic resources, realistic expectations, realistic time frames and provide a healthy environment, which includes investing in your team, helping them improve in all areas, and genuinely understanding their challenges.

There are so many wonderful people in our industry, and we want to keep them all and attract more in the future. Everyone has been through a challenging time over the past 18 months and if there was ever a perfect time to make changes it is now, as we emerge from the pandemic and have the opportunity to do so. So, let’s take a look at what needs to change, change it and become better together.

 

 

PS. No more pizza for lunch!