I remember from my college days learning of a personnel management theory called Hertzberg's Two Factor Theory.
It basically says there are maintenance factors and there are motivational factors involved in successfully managing employees but the things you think will motivate them are not what actually does in most cases. Money for instance ... Hertzberg says money is a maintenance factor (it does not motivate an employee to perform, it simply keeps him from being DEMOTIVATED).
Back when I ran my flooring store, I employed full time cleaners and hired subcontract crews for my flooring installations. I paid my subs a dollar a sq. yard over the going rate and paid my cleaning crew an hourly rate well above minimum wage plus a commission. The all made fairly good money ... much more than my competitors.
I still had all the drama and crappy installations.
People who are attracted to our line of work are under-educated and mostly come from homes and environments that do not support responsible behavior and a good work ethic. It used to be that poor and disadvantaged people had strong work ethics, good moral character and were willing to work their way ahead in life. It is simply not that way anymore. In fact, I read an piece in the Wall Street Journal the other day saying that current research indicates that the characteristics we associated with the "working classes" in the days of the great depression and WWII (thrift, good moral character and personal responsibility) are no longer found there. These days it's the upper class people who demonstrate these characteristics. Our society has had a polar shift in our social character.
So, it's harder today to get a hire, train and retain a quality employee from the pool of potential employees we have to choose from.
I remember from my college days learning of a personnel management theory called Hertzberg's Two Factor Theory.
It basically says there are maintenance factors and there are motivational factors involved in successfully managing employees but the things you think will motivate them are not what actually does in most cases. Money for instance ... Hertzberg says money is a maintenance factor (it does not motivate an employee to perform, it simply keeps him from being DEMOTIVATED).
Back when I ran my flooring store, I employed full time cleaners and hired subcontract crews for my flooring installations. I paid my subs a dollar a sq. yard over the going rate and paid my cleaning crew an hourly rate well above minimum wage plus a commission. The all made fairly good money ... much more than my competitors.
I still had all the drama and crappy installations.
People who are attracted to our line of work are under-educated and mostly come from homes and environments that do not support responsible behavior and a good work ethic. It used to be that poor and disadvantaged people had strong work ethics, good moral character and were willing to work their way ahead in life. It is simply not that way anymore. In fact, I read an piece in the Wall Street Journal the other day saying that current research indicates that the characteristics we associated with the "working classes" in the days of the great depression and WWII (thrift, good moral character and personal responsibility) are no longer found there. These days it's the upper class people who demonstrate these characteristics. Our society has had a polar shift in our social character.
So, it's harder today to get a hire, train and retain a quality employee from the pool of potential employees we have to choose from.
