Tips from a local business owner for an enjoyable work environment
By Erin Richardson, President of All-American Pest Control
Now more than ever, it’s so important to cultivate an attractive workplace for employees by emphasizing company culture and growth. Not only can company culture boost employee morale, but it’s also the key to retaining top talent!
See how I’ve continued to grow my family business, All-American Pest Control, throughout Middle Tennessee with the tips below.
Don’t forget to communicate
According to a workplace communication study, effective communication can increase an organization’s productivity by 25%. What I have found to be so valuable to my teammates and our company’s overall health is a rhythm of communication that goes both ways.
Beyond just listening, nurturing an environment where you collect feedback is essential. We do this in our weekly meetings by asking each team member to share what’s working versus what’s not. The feedback we receive is then passed to the appropriate department to ensure we make meaningful changes to our systems and processes.
Remember, we’re all in the same boat
Creating a close-knit team with a “we are all in this together” mindset inspires employees to do what is best for the company. The more we invest in our team, the more they invest in our business.
According to a professional and personal development study, 97% of employees say a flexible job improves or positively impacts their overall quality of life. This also supports the health and wellness of workers, enhancing the company’s culture and productivity at the same time.
Offering more flexible schedules, such as a four-day workweek, alternative work schedules and remote work options, attracts and retains top employees. I’ve found it to be true that companies that prioritize work-life balance are more likely to retain and recruit the right workers through all seasons of life.
Recruit genuine talent and integrity
There are many factors to consider when creating a positive culture for your team. It starts with hiring and training great people, showing them that you care, equipping them to learn and grow and empowering them with the ability and authority to make the best decisions for your customers.
Employee retention and loyalty, however, are generated through great leadership at all levels of the organization. We believe that great employees want to work with great team players and have a trusting, supportive relationship with their direct manager and senior leadership. We invest heavily in the development of emerging leaders, team leaders, mentors, service managers and senior leadership. This approach to hiring, training and leadership development tends to lead to employees staying with us for many years! In fact, the average tenure for an All-American employee is nine years, which gives our customers service continuity that is hard to find in our industry.
Invest time to mentor future leaders
Developing a mentorship program benefits mentees, mentors and the company. Our talent pipeline always brings us fantastic new employees whom we love investing in.
Our team has provided positive feedback about our mentorship program and how it helps them develop skills, both personally and professionally. Our teams are taught how to coach well and encourage teams to do their best work.
We recently piloted our Emerging Leaders Program to encourage employees to learn more about our business goals and plans and grow as leaders. The purpose is to gain knowledge and practice skills to become an effective leader, grow in understanding the structure and decision-making process that empowers our company and build trusting relationships between employees and among departments.
We love helping employees grow and believe that every employee we hire has the potential for the next level. At All-American we’re in the business of people, and we happen to specialize in pest control. We love our work, but what’s most important to us is helping the people around us, both customers and employees.
Erin Richardson is the CEO and owner of a third-generation business—All-American Pest Control. Since buying the business in 2012, Erin has implemented a four-day work week and a variety of strategic bets that fueled the company’s growth and reputation. She currently serves on NPMA’s Board of Directors, TPCA’s Board of Directors, the Workforce Development Steering Committee and NPMA’s Diversity Council. She founded the TN Chapter of Professional Women in Pest Control, and she recently chaired NPMA’s Inclusion, Diversity and Equity Task Force. She has grown her family business to PCT Magazine’s Top 100 List—the top 100 largest pest control companies in the nation—and has appeared on the Inc. 5000 list in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
