Retaining Devoted HGV Drivers

When it comes to business, retaining good, hardworking employees is just as important as the recruitment process if not more so; many of us will know an experienced, good driver is hard to come by. Retaining employees is not as hard as it sounds; however, when certain issues do arise you need to be prepared to approach them in not only professional manner, but a fair and open-minded one too. In this article, we will be taking a look at the best ways to retain honest HGV drivers and the best approach to take should a concern on behalf of your employees arise.

Be Open to Communication

The problem with a lot of managers nowadays is that they simply don't have the necessary tools for strong communication between them and the workforce and sadly as a result, you see many businesses crumbling and falling apart. One of the most important things associated with being a good manager is to be prepared to have open discussions and listen to what your employees have to say. Not only this, you should take into consideration their viewpoints and communicate in a way that conveys respect and interest.

Also, you may find that the more you respect your employees and their role in your business, the more they begin to respect you as their manager. As respect is a two-way street it is important to strike the balance between being strict and being compassionate. This isn't to say you shouldn't take action should they violate a company policy, it simply means the situation should be approached in an equal, open-minded way.

Reward Performance

Many companies nowadays focus on the negative rather than the positive and understandably if you're looking to grow and develop as a business then the negatives must be accounted for. However, this isn't to say that positive performance and behaviour shouldn't be rewarded. One of the best ways to retain hard-working employees is to recognise and show that you appreciate what they're doing for the company. This may mean a rise in pay or even something as small as a certificate to reward them for their efforts. Guaranteed, they will appreciate the thought.

It may also be a good idea to set goals within the workplace that your employees can work towards such as greater fuel efficiency or finding shorter, alternative routes. This way you're giving your employees something to work towards which may just be the spark they need to improve their current productivity.

Trust

While HGV tracking systems are an essential in any business associated with the delivery or return of goods, to some degree you need to learn to trust your employees. By displaying an adequate amount of trust and placing just enough responsibility in their hands, your workers may just learn to start appreciating you more as their manager. Of course, with trust there will always be a few ups and downs, but before you pull your employees in for a scream-off you should make sure you've seen all sides of the story and as mentioned before, approach the situation in a fair manner.

These are just a few of the ways you can help to retain devoted employees.