The business landscape is constantly changing, and while new initiatives can be refreshing, one constant for businesses is their workforce. Steve Hillis, CEO of Empower Partners, LLC, is a business consultant specializing in the building products sector, with a long history in the flooring industry. His advice? Eliminate unnecessary barriers, paperwork, and office politics and focus on empowering your team.
One of the most-cited reasons for turnover isn’t money, Hillis said during a recent keynote seminar for the World Floor Covering Association’s Empower 2018 educational conference. Employees leave because they felt that their employers didn’t care about them as people. Millennials despise office politics but love working in a team environment. And with 56 million millennials on the job, they represent the largest percentage of the workforce, and will only continue to grow as baby boomers and Generation Xers reach retirement age. But Hillis’ methods can be successful with any mix of employees. The key is an empowered team that is emotionally invested in the work they do. So, how do you empower and motivate your team?