DMJ 1 on 1: 10 Ways To Improve Employee Retention

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It’s time for the latest DMJ 1 on 1.  This time we take on a big topic.  How do we improve employee retention?  We all need great teams to do great work.  So here are 10 ways to improve employee retention.

New Employee Onboarding

When you welcome a new member to your team, make sure you REALLY welcome them. That first bit at a new place can feel a lot like going to a new school when we were young. We don’t know anyone. Everyone else already knows everyone. They know the culture, the language, the business…and there are already cliques of people that hang out.

As an employer, you can help with this in several ways. First, assign the new hire a buddy. This can be the person that makes sure they know the way around before they know the way around.

In addition, new employee merch can be really powerful. Having merch allows them to look the part even before they feel like it. When done right, new employee merch can help them look good AND be able to do their job better. This is a great way to make them feel a part of the culture.

Quarterly Appreciation Gifts

Businesses know they need to show appreciation to their best customers. Well…the good businesses know it! As a matter of fact, statistics will tell you that 69% of customers who leave you do so because of perceived indifference. Crazy right?

Well, your employees are no different. They want to feel appreciated and recognized. And while there are tons of ways to do this, the best organizations “put it on the calendar” to ensure this appreciation gets done.

One way to do that is to set up a Quarterly Appreciation program for your team. Just set the yearly budget per person. Then divide that number by 4 and you have the budget per item. When you think about the cost of onboarding, recruiting, and training new team members, this can really be a practical and effective investment.

‌End of Year/Holiday Gifts

The final quarter of the fiscal year often coincides with the end of the calendar year. If you want to go “above and beyond,” this is the time to do it. Make sure your team understands how much you appreciate their hard work.

Oh…and now is not the time to go with Gift Cards. Many executives want to take the easy way out and give gift cards. There are several problems with this. First, there is no staying power. So often, this gift card or certificate never gets used or it certainly gets forgotten. Second, you lose a chance to build culture. When you give a cool gift, the team all use something that shows they are a part of the same tribe. Third, they have to claim it! Now it’s not a gift, it’s an obligation.

There is nothing wrong with cash or gift cards if they are a part of the overall gift, but spend the extra time to pick something your team will actually enjoy and use long term.

Purpose/Give Back/Mission

There is power in a united goal. This can be powerful in creating a bond and a culture. What problem does your organization solve that people can get behind? What non-profit do you believe in or support? Make sure you tell that story before people join the team (to recruit the right people) but continue to tell that story as you move forward.

And yes…you need to tell this story over and over and over…

Pay Structure Evaluation

While pay should not be the only thing that keeps people working with your team, it has to be in the ballpark. We all know this as employees. If we can’t pay our bills, we will not (and will not be able to) do our best work.

Training and Growth

The best employees want to work in a place where they feel like they can be the best version of themselves. One of the ways they can express that is through training and growth. What programs does your organization have to help them be the best they can be?

Remember, if you are afraid to train your employees because they might grow and leave…be very afraid that they are stagnant and want to stay!  Don’t know how to create a program?  Check out this organization.  Crosworks can help you tailor a program just for you.

Health & Wellness Program

Health and Wellness programs not only create healthier employees (as if that is not enough reason), but they also create more productive and profitable organizations.

Harvard researchers found that for every dollar spent on employee wellness, medical costs fell by $3.27 and absenteeism dropped by $2.73, resulting in a 6-to-1 return on investment.

The Rand Wellness Programs Study showed that the disease management component of a wellness program was responsible for 86% of the hard healthcare cost savings, generating $136 in savings per member, per month, and a 30% reduction in hospital admissions.

Create a wellness program that every employee is excited to participate in. That’s a big ask. But if you can do it, it will create a healthier workforce and culture.  Yes…we can help with our Total Wellness program.  Learn more here. 

Employee Merch/Build The Brand

You can always tell an organization where people want to work if they WANT to wear the company gear. Think about it. If you are not forced to wear the company logo, but you do it anyway, you are proud to rep the brand. That’s huge. Not only does it help build the culture, but the branding can help build the company.

Create opportunities for your team to get branded merch. Whether they win it, they buy it, or (best of all) you provide it regularly, having your team wearing your brand is powerful.

Oh…and don’t go cheap. Make this the best merch so they are excited to put it on again and again!

Mental Health Tools

Have you ever worked with someone going through a divorce? If so, you know that they were not able to give their best. It’s just so much to go through. For years, employers acted like there was a separation between our personal and professional lives. And in some ways, there should be. But we know that we have to bring ourselves to work each day.

The best organizations give tools to deal with tough things in life. And when people feel better they do better work. It just makes sense. But many organizations miss it.

What do your mental health offerings look like?

Service Award Programs

Finally, we have talked about appreciation…and this is a big one. What about the people who have worked for you for a long time? Obviously they help create the culture and keep the trains running on time. So celebrate that!

Make sure you celebrate the milestones.

This not only shows them you appreciate them. But it shows the rest of the team that it’s important too.

Oh…and in today’s world it makes sense to start earlier than ever. Don’t wait until they have been at your place for 5 years…or even 1. When people make it to 6 months (or even 3 months) make it a big deal! You want to keep them right?

So there you have it.  These are 10 ways to improve employee retention.  Use these as a checklist to help dial in your company culture.  Want more information?  Check out our TARGET HR Playbook here for free!

 

Featured Year-End Gifts: Drinkware

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At Hasseman Marketing, we are committed to helping fix the Appreciation Gap.  We do that by assisting organizations to find really cool Branded Merch to gift to their team and their best customers.  Our challenge is, there are so many categories of products that fit the bill!  It’s a great problem to have!  We work with amazing suppliers with great products…and that’s great!  So we are going to feature different cool year-end gifts each time.  This week we feature one of our favorite year-end gift categories…drinkware.

13 oz. Barista Ceramic Custom Mugs with Cork Bottom

We have been featuring this ceramic mug a lot this year.  Made with stoneware and a faux cork bottom, this piece not only has a great look (and it does) but the cork helps to protect your hands from the heat of that much-needed coffee in the morning.  This has a great look for an office mug or is the perfect mug to hand out to clients.  Click here to find pricing.

12 oz. Itsy Vacuum Insulated Travel Mug

Can you say functional?  This double wall vacuum sealed tumbler is perfect to keep your coffee hot or your cold drinks cold, but it is perfect for on the go…or staying at the office.  And with this smaller size, you can also use this with your Keurig as well.  Priced here with a one-color imprint, this is a great year-end gift that will not break the bank.

Hydro Flask® Standard Mouth 21 oz Bottle with Flex Cap

Your perfect travel companion. Keep life moving with the Hydro Flask® Standard Mouth With Flex Cap 21oz. It stashes easily into a small shoulder bag, your pack’s side pocket, or your car cup holder, and holds enough ice-cold goodness to keep you going for hours without weighing you down. No wonder it’s one of our bestselling water bottles. TempShield™ insulation eliminates condensation and keeps beverages cold up to 24 hours and hot up to 12 hours.  Learn more here.

It’s hard to believe we are in Appreciation Season, but September is here.  Please check out the shop.  We have even more to select from there!  But if you need additional ideas, we would love to help!

And of course, if you want to make sure your marketing and appreciation “hit the TARGET,” you can get our TARGET marketing playbook here for free!

 

How The UPS Strike Could Affect Your Branded Merch Order

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The upcoming (potential) UPS strike is a cause of concern for many businesses, including those in our industry…and our customers. The strike is expected to affect UPS operations across the country, which could lead to delays and disruptions in the supply chain.  So we wanted to take just a moment to talk about how this UPS strike could affect YOUR branded merch order…and what we can do about it.

Plan Ahead

One of the main concerns for customers of Branded Merch is the timely delivery of their orders. With UPS being one of the top shipping carriers in this industry, any disruption in their operations could lead to delays and missed deadlines. This could have a ripple effect on businesses, as delayed deliveries could lead to missed deadlines, increased costs, and events without your merch.

The lesson here is simple, as we move into the fall, let’s work to plan earlier on events to mitigate this risk.

Seeking Additional Options

Another potential impact of the UPS strike is an increase in shipping costs. With UPS being one of the major shipping carriers, businesses may have to seek out alternative carriers to get their products to customers on time. This could lead to higher shipping costs, which could eat into profit margins and make it harder for businesses to compete in the marketplace.  This is true for all businesses, but our goal is to work to seek options to help you keep the shipping costs down.

Businesses that utilize Branded Merch in their marketing strategy (and who doesn’t?) should be prepared for the potential impact of the UPS strike by exploring alternative shipping options. This may include working with other carriers or exploring local delivery services. Businesses should also communicate with their customers about any potential delays or disruptions in their supply chain, and work to find solutions that meet their needs.

Overall, the UPS strike is a cause for concern for all businesses. However, with proper preparation and communication, businesses can mitigate the impact of the strike and continue to meet the needs of their customers.

Our goal at Hasseman Marketing is to be a great marketing partner for your small to midsize organization.  That is why we work to create information like this to help you!

If you want more help to improve your marketing…we can help there too.  You should check out our TARGET Marketing Playbook here for free.  We break down what makes up a great marketing plan and how you can implement it.  Get your copy here for free.

Product of the Week: Walnut QI

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Welcome to the Hasseman Marketing featured Product of the Week!  Our goal each week is to show you a piece of branded merch that we love…and give you 3 reasons to love it too!  This week we feature a wireless charger with an elegant look.

Let’s talk about the Walnut QI!  Watch this short video below!

Here are the 3 reasons we love the Walnut QI

Great Looking Imprint:  This is a piece that turns heads.  It has a great look and a great imprint for your brand.

Sustainable:  Showcase your brand with the beautifully crafted, Walnut Qi wireless charger.  Sustainably made with quality walnut wood finish, heavy aluminum casing, and real wood grain details each as unique as your brand!

Works Great:  It’s a perfect item to charge your phone while you are working at your desk or laying in bed.

So that’s why we love the Walnut QI for our Hasseman Marketing Product of the Week!  Want to learn more?  Click here to start shopping today.

Hasseman Marketing is your one-stop marketing shop.  We work hard to “Deliver #MarketingJoy to you.  If you want to make sure you never miss an update, now is a great time to become a VIP.  Sign up to be “on the list” here.

3 Facts About Corporate Giving In 2020

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It’s important for our lives to be based in truth.  If we want to be effective, productive and happy, it’s important for us to operate as things are…not how we want them to be.  That’s why I wrote this blog discussing “now that we are here.”  With that in mind, I want to give you 3 Facts about Corporate Gift Giving in 2020.

It’s More Important Than Ever

We are unapologetic fans of showing appreciation.  Of course we are.  It’s the business we are in.  But we also believe there is an appreciation gap in business today.  We talk about that here.  But this year, we are asking employees to work more with less.  Some team members have been laid off.  Others have taken on more responsibilities.  It’s what we have had to do to survive.  At the very least, we are all working in an incredibly uncertain and stressful time.  We need to show them how much that means to us.  And for customers that is doubly true.  These are our truest supporters that have continued to do business with us…and we need to make sure they know how much we appreciate it.

It’s Harder Than Ever

But here’s the thing, while it’s more important than ever, the fact is it’s harder.  Many people are still working from home.  We can’t do the traditional holiday events or parties.  Even if we can, these events will look small or different to say the least.  If we want to give our team a gift, we have to create new ways to deliver them and make them fun.  It’s a real challenge.  There is no getting around it.  (With this challenge in mind, we created this site to help).

It’s Important To Order Early

While we are always a fan of planning in advance, this year it’s a must.  As an industry, we are starting to see challenges with delivery times for many orders.  Because we HAVE to ship to more and different locations, it’s become a challenge for delivery.  As a matter of fact, UPS and Fed Ex have already acknowledged it’s going to be an issue.

In addition, the stock of many items across our industry has been a huge challenge as well.  Why?  Because when the pandemic began, all business in many (if not most) industries stopped.  The promotional products industry was no different.  So suppliers shut off orders from overseas to manage space and cash flow.  When the economy started to open back up, many suppliers took conservative bets on what to order in.  It’s a smart move.  But it has created stock challenges on some items.  What does that mean to you?  It means the item you are in love with for you team might be out of stock.  You either need to order before it is…or get ready to change to a new item quickly so you can still show that appreciation that is more important than ever!

So those are 3 Facts about Corporate Giving in 2020.  They are realities we all need to deal with.  Please be patient as we help you try and navigate these strange waters with you.  Again, if you are interested in seeing a solution to delivering the gifts, check out this site we have created.  Everything on the site is “all in.”  It includes the price of the items, imprinting, setup fees, and shipping to your team member or customers door…all in.