The Little Things That Make a Difference in Your Company

Photo courtesy Adrienne Barclay, Rival Services

Excellent employees aren’t easy to come by. And local businesses and even competitors may woo your team members with promises of better pay or hours. While these factors matter to your team, a worker-friendly environment can make your portable restroom business more attractive than other options.

Employees, and humans in general, want to feel appreciated. Many also crave comradery, the acknowledgment that they are more than their job position, and even a sense of purpose. PROs can deliver these things and more without breaking the bank. Here are a few little things that make a difference in your company.

Acknowledge Milestones and Personal Moments

Your staff spends a third of their waking hours working for your portable restroom business. They show up and get the job done every day. Build company morale by getting to know them better on a personal level and using HR systems to put their birthdays or other special events on your calendar. It only takes a minute to say hello and thank them for another year of service or wish them a happy birthday.

Here are small ways you can show appreciation:

• Recognize birthdays: Give them a card signed by the portable restroom business owner and other office staff.
• Remember employee work anniversaries: Highlight milestones at one, three, and five years… and beyond as they stick with you.
• Celebrate moments: Offer a spontaneous inexpensive or humorous gift to a new parent or recent empty nester.
• Convey sympathy: Be aware when a team member loses a family member or experiences other significant life events. Acknowledgment from the company and flowers or a small donation can go a long way.

Support Work-Life Balance

The grind of work, especially during the peak season, can blur the lines between personal and professional time. While drivers rarely take work home like portable restroom business owners, long days or challenging weeks can wear on them. If you’ve ever jumped up in bed after dreaming that you forgot to deliver a customer’s rentals or tossed and turned all night worried about finishing a route in time to get to a family member’s recital, you know what we’re talking about.

Get the most from employees by being transparent about expectations. Let teams know when an upcoming week (or month) will be intense, involving all hands on deck with no room for downtime. Once you push through, successfully servicing and delivering units for multiple events, give staff a moment to breathe. Perhaps you could send them home an hour early. Or, tell drivers that dinner is on you and have them pick up a ready-to-heat family-size meal after their shift ends.

Ask for Feedback

PROs don’t have to tackle every issue alone. Asking for input is part of any successful company’s culture. A suggestion program or employee surveys make teams feel like they aren’t invisible. Get them involved when facing a routing challenge or demanding customer. Maximize drivers and office staff by giving them the opportunity to come up with solutions and possibly save the day.

Work Toward Shared Goals

Support local communities where your employees live and work while finding ways your staff can participate. Consider starting an empty stocking fund for the holidays. Employees can have their donations taken from their paychecks. Host a food drive and back-to-school event where you encourage team members to drop off cans or school supplies. Celebrate reaching a goal with a pizza day or donuts, and encourage drivers to take some to go.

Build Your Workplace Culture

Cultivate your company culture by remembering that little things can have a big impact. A few words from the company owner and co-workers that appreciate each other improves the workplace. Stay aware of happenings in your portable restroom business and show your team it’s worth sticking around for the long haul.

Looking to Take Your Portable Restroom Business to the NEXT LEVEL? Download our FREE Guide: “Your Guide to Operating A Portable Restroom Business.”

Thinking About GETTING INTO the Portable Restroom Industry? Download our FREE Guide: “Your Guide to Starting A Portable Restroom Business.”