By Karalynn Cromeens, Esq., The Cromeens Law Firm, PLLC

I am not sure what the hell happened, but finding and keeping good people has become nearly impossible. Over the last year, I have cycled through 25+ employees; when my whole team is 30 people, that is a lot. I know I am not the only one, and many of you have gone through the same. Now being in a bit more stable position (knock on wood, I don’t want to jinx it), I have also learned some important lessons through this experience. The most important thing I have learned is that when people need to keep their jobs, it hides many flaws in the company’s leadership. Meaning when people need to keep their jobs, they are willing to put up with bad leaders, but when they can get a different job the next day, they are not so willing to put up with a lack of leadership. 

As the founder, owner, or person at the top, you are the company’s psychology, vibe, and heartbeat. Your good traits, such as dedication, motivation, and hustle mentality, can be seen in your company, but your bad ones can also come through. Your impatience, lack of clarity, and know-it-all attitude are visible to employees too. The first step is self-reflection to see which of your less-than-desirable traits is causing the most damage. If you have trouble seeing which of your traits is negatively affecting your company, I highly recommend the help of a life/business coach. They can help you see things in a way you never have before. With the help of my coach, my failure at communication, specifically a lack of clarity, was causing the biggest issues at my company. 

My lack of clarity issues is probably very familiar to someone who starts a business because they are good at what they do. You think everyone knows what you do; they know how to paint the right way, they know how to install flooring the right way, and they know how to deal with the customers the right way. It all seems obvious to you, and the new team member has experience in the construction industry. Surely they know the same things you do. They don’t… One of the most effective ways to reduce turnover is to be clear on what is expected.  

A well-written job description is a great tool to clarify what is expected in a role. Even if you don’t have an HR department, you can draft a great job description. If you already have one, you can start with that as your basic outline of what the new team member will be expected to do. If you still need to get a detailed job description, start by imagining what you want this new team member to do in a day and write down a sentence or less describing everything this new team member will do. Once you have this outline, you can add two or three more sentences to describe the activity, but you want to keep the job description two pages or under. You can have a more detailed description of a specific process you create for that activity in a training manual. It is very helpful to bring the job description to the interview so you can explain exactly what will be expected in the position. On the new team member’s first day, review the job description with them and have them sign that they understand everything. 

Another important tool for workplace clarity is a well-written and up-to-date employee handbook. An employee handbook does two very important things. It lets everyone know the ground rules and CYA (cover your ass). If you have any employees, you need an employee handbook. It is easier to start initially than get team members already working for you to agree to the handbook’s terms. The following is a list of things that should be included in your employee handbook: 

• Mission/Vision – Now more than ever, people want to know that they are making a difference and are part of a team doing the same. Taking time to create a Mission statement, truly reaching for it, and giving examples of when you meet it is huge to the leadership journey. 
• Values – What are the company’s values, what do you want to be known for? When you act in accordance with the company’s values, your team will too, and that is what the customer will experience.  
• Attendance – When you expect everyone to show up and what time they get to leave. 
• Breaks & lunch – when do they get to take breaks, lunches, and for how long. 
• Time Off – If they need time off, who do they ask? Do you offer paid time off? How much? When do they earn it? 
• Holidays – what holidays are you off, and do you offer paid holidays? 
• First 90 days – It is a good idea to have the first 90 days be a probationary period where you can find out if this new team member is fit and have a check-in every 30 days to go over the things that are going well or things that need improvement. 
• Reviews – When and how will reviews be conducted? After the 90 probationary period, it is good to have a review at least twice a year, once in the middle of the year to tell them what they need to improve if they want to see a raise at the next review. 
• Benefits – do you offer any other benefits? When are they eligible, and what are the guidelines? 
•  Equal opportunity employer. – You provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants. 
• Anti-Harassment Policy – That harassment of any type is unacceptable and how to file a complaint. 
• Conflicts of Interest & Confidentiality – The team member will not take actions that conflict with the company’s interest. The information they learn while employed is confidential and not to be shared outside the company. 
• Safety Policy – What the company is doing and what the team member needs to do to ensure a safe work environment.  
• Disciplinary policy – When a team member is not doing what is required, how many warnings do they get before being fired? Ensure all warnings are in writing and signed off on by the team member. 
• Work From Home Policy – If working from home is part of their employment, explain what is expected when they work from home. 

This is not an inclusive list, but just some ideas to start. If it is important to you, let people know by putting it in your employee handbook. 

The second most important part of having an employee handbook is prioritizing everyone following what it says. That means as soon as you see something out of line, you need to have a hard conversation and address it immediately. There will always be a test to see if you mean what you say. It is important for all your team members to address issues immediately and not let them linger. 

Challenging times such as now are what make great leaders, but you have to put in the work and do the hard things no one else is willing to do. 

About the Author

With more than 18 years of experience in construction and real estate law, Karalynn Cromeens has filed more than a thousand lawsuits to foreclose or remove mechanics liens successfully. Her family also owns a material supply company, providing Karalynn first-hand knowledge of the construction industry. This personal understanding, combined with her extensive legal experience, guides The Cromeens Law Firm’s true purpose— To protect and defend all that you have worked hard for and be your partner in business. She is also a best-selling author and podcast host for Quit Getting Screwed.