Finding Sustainable Solutions

By Rachel Dutil • Photo by Jessica McCafferty

What is it that allows some companies to retain employees for decades? Why do some businesses have frequent turnover while others celebrate milestone work anniversaries?

Holly Vassar is the founder of Hemisphere Business Solutions which offers human resource management and support as well as consulting for training, conflict resolution, and compliance. I met with Vassar recently to discuss company culture and its impact on businesses.

“An employee who feels like a valued member of the team is more likely to go the extra mile, stay late to meet a deadline, volunteer to take on a task, or ensure the client or customer is well taken care of,” Vassar explained. “Like any relationship, if you feel you are giving more than you are receiving, it is only a matter of time before there is an undesirable outcome.

“Company culture encompasses numerous facets of the workplace environment and plays a critical role in employee morale,” she explained. “It is a collection of workplace behaviors, norms, beliefs, and so much more. Aligning an owner’s culture and aspirations with those of team members can be easier said than done; however, it can lead to happier employees, better service and increased revenue.”

The A Team

Vassar explained how culture plays into employee retention and ultimately business success. “The great employees — the A players — often have more options and will be the first to depart, leaving a company with its B and C team players. An A player can hold up a company’s standards and elevate their peers. Without them, it can be a struggle to maintain positive results,” she offered. “Brand new A team players who arrive at their new role and find disarray and negativity will often rapidly exercise their other options, creating a cycle the company struggles to break.”

Labor is a challenge and an asset in business. Managing people is never easy and Hemisphere offers a neutral person with an outside perspective to help businesses navigate challenging personal relationships that exist within businesses.

Vassar may be called into a company to help navigate interdepartmental friction. “More often than not,” she said, “the issue is a lack of understanding of what each does. Sitting down together and talking with a neutral third-party facilitator can help.”

Vassar regularly meets with company CEOs, managers or leadership teams to help with a wide array of human resource issues. At times, she meets with individual employees who aren’t meeting work expectations and helps to create an employee improvement plan. Although that process can be intimidating, it can also be valuable in eliciting positive change.

“It’s all about how the message is delivered,” she said. “I love to reach out a proverbial hand to an employee and lift them up with coaching and guidance rather than discipline. Life outside of work is tough enough for many people and work can sometimes serve as a sanctuary for a person. Showing flexibility towards resolutions can be beneficial in not only resolving an issue, but also in employee retention. Meeting a person where they are can go a long way.”

Transparency and Communication

“If employees don’t know what is happening, they often speculate and eventually, rumors and gossip circulate, causing harm that was not necessary if the answers had been clearly provided,” Vassar explained. “Many lower-level employees do not have an understanding of the inner workings of the company or business, so it is important to ensure that messages going out are able to be understood by all. A company can be as transparent as it likes, but does the person you’re speaking to understand what you said? Is there a possibility that a confused employee may spread misinformation? Most definitely.”

Building trust and getting buy-in from your team on new policies is crucial for the success of their implementation. Vassar suggested companies should have their department heads and middle managers review employee handbook updates and provide feedback before it is adopted. “Having the opportunity to be heard and provide input can help increase the desire to follow and enforce the policies,” she offered.

Vassar also emphasized companies should seek to understand where their employees are coming from and listen to feedback about issues and how changes might benefit the employee and the organization. “It’s easy to write somebody up for being late. But why are we surprised when it happens again next week? Sometimes it takes asking more questions and keeping an open mind to determine a solution, rather than issuing a punishment that ultimately adds to the problem.”

Empathy and Inclusion

“Not everyone is going to like all the people they work with and that is entirely normal and acceptable. However, respect and inclusivity pave the way for a cohesive working environment, even for those who don’t align personally,” Vassar explained.

She acknowledged that her former boss, Cana Tighe, was an inspiring mentor who created a culture in her company where employees were allowed to be human and were supported both professionally and personally. “The way she treated me as an employee for so many years has cemented my view that empathy in the workplace opens up room for brilliance.”

People spend the majority of their waking hours at work, Vassar pointed out. “Knowing that they matter is essential. I have seen incredible bridges built within companies when empathy is introduced to the culture in a palpable way, even if it was there before.”

Strengthening company culture is an ongoing process. Vassar advises companies, “Think long and hard about who you are, what you want to portray and what is important to you when thinking about defining culture goals.”

Taking an introspective look at your company can be challenging. Recognizing faults and problem solving is rarely easy, but can be a useful assessment and positive step toward progress. Some questions that Vassar suggested include:

• How are interdepartmental relationships?

• Is there an area that has more turnover than others?

• Is your company culture being upheld throughout the ranks?

• Are managers receiving regular training, particularly when changes occur?

• If an employee makes a mistake, are they encouraged to admit it and learn from it?

“Each company has a different vision and it’s always my goal to tailor the approach to meet the desired outcome. A strong plan must be in place with buy-in from all key players,” Vassar emphasized. “With established values to tie into, long-term careful review of proposed changes and actions are possible. That will ensure the company is living and breathing its culture on an ongoing basis, maintaining the hard work it took to get there,”

she concluded.

Hemisphere Business Solutions

Plattsburgh, NY 12901

518 353-0468

www.hemispherebusinesssolutions.com