An employee retention disaster at a local coffee bar reminded me of how critical resolving staff issues is to the life of a business.
It all started (publicly) when regular customers found that Gorilla Coffee on 5th Ave. in Park Slope was closed because all ten of their employees quit, enmasse. Instead of being able to drink their morning brew, they found a gated shop and a “missive” posted by the employees, blaming the situation on one of the co-owners, who allegedly created a “perpetually malicious, hostile, and demeaning work environment”, according to an article in the NY Times. The other owner refuted the charge stating that although her partner was a bit of a drill sergeant, that it takes quite a bit of training to become a great barista and she had turned out many excellent ones.
As often happens with neighborhood incidents, there were all kinds of rumors and speculation in the local media as to who is right and who is wrong, and whether they will re-open. But one thing seemed certain, that the owners did little in the way of communicating with employees or resolving staff issues. After two weeks, even if they do re-open, after all the bad press, will regulars go back?
One of the basics tenents of business management is open dialogue with employees. When management is deaf to the concerns of their employees it can easily lead to disengagement and lack of motivation. We’ve seen it for years in larger corporations, so much so that employee retention has become a significant challenge for corporate managers, prompting companies to develop employee retention strategies and offer a host of benefits in an effort to keep employees that they have spent so much time and money training. Interesting for this story to surface at a time when employment is high and many feel lucky just to have a job.
Is employee retention a priority in your business?
Susan Martin, Leadership Coaching
great post as usual!