flexiblefullpage - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
Currently Reading

How to Show Employees That You Care

Advertisement
billboard -
Thought Leadership

How to Show Employees That You Care

A personal touch from leaders can have a lasting impact on your people. Here's how a CEO of an 800-person company does it.


By Larry Chavez December 12, 2022
Dreamstyle Remodeling building exterior
Photo courtesy of Dreamstyle Remodeling
This article first appeared in the January/February 2023 issue of Pro Remodeler.

Several years ago, I was kicking around ideas of how to communicate employee accomplishments to everyone inside our organization on a regular basis. It’s important to recognize the people who are working hard for you and your business.

A company-wide email could have worked, but I wanted to find something that was more of a personal touch. Mark Richardson, who’s been a great advisor to me, recommended that I look into a service called DialMyCalls. This technology allows me to record a voicemail message, edit it, and set it up for mass distribution to the phones of my entire team of about 800 employees–all within 10 minutes.

It was a no-brainer for me to be able to speak to the entire company on a weekly basis. These two-minute messages mean a great deal to the employees.

A couple of years ago, we had a young IT guy named Nathan who had done something really well alongside his supervisor. I recognized them by name for their contributions on one of my Friday morning messages.

The following Monday morning, he showed up at my office door and thanked me for mentioning him. He said that after listening to the voicemail, he visited his parents to play it for them. He was smiling as he told me how proud his parents were of him.

There are many ways you can use a tool like this to touch your employees. Here’s a list of themes that I include in my messages that have the most impact on my Dreamstyle team:
 

1. Recognition of on-the-job achievements.

The primary purpose of these messages is to honor individuals for key contributions. I encourage our branches to submit names of individuals who have been mentioned in our online reviews.
 

2. Notices of key dates for open enrollment or other company benefits.

It’s important that employees don’t miss these deadlines, so I remind them to sign up before it’s too late.
 

3. Health and safety warnings.

I encourage employees to be safe when they’re celebrating holidays or to take extra precautions when we see an uptick in COVID. This shows them that I care.
 

4. Recite words of wisdom.

An example of this would be sharing some thoughts on World Gratitude Day. I read quotes from well-known people on the subject of gratitude and received positive feedback from our employees.
 

5. Special holiday announcements.

The Friday before Mother’s Day, I thank the moms in the company for the sacrifices that they make in working at Dreamstyle. In advance of Veteran’s Day, I thank all of our employees who have served in the military.
 

6. Vendor recognition.

I encourage our people who have been working with a vendor to reach out to them to let them know that they've been doing a great job for us.
 

7. Seeking suggestions and complaints.

Every quarter or so I remind employees that they can make anonymous suggestions or complaints and I give them the phone number to call to do so.
 

These are just some examples of ways you can use this tool to reach your employees to let them know that you care. When I visit a branch and I get introduced to people, the first thing many of them say is that they can now put a face to voice behind my messages. That’s the kind of impact these voicemails have on our employees. And they can do the same for you.


written by

Larry Chavez

Larry Chavez is the CEO of Dreamstyle Remodeling, based in Albuquerque, N.M. 


Add new comment

Plain text

  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
leaderboard2 - default

Related Stories

A Listening Ear: How We Do Effective Communication

How one remodeler's human-centered business practices make projects go more smoothly 

On the Horizon?

A significant percentage of single-family homes sold today are purchased by investment firms­ as rental properties. What does this mean for remodelers in the future?

Avoiding Growing Pains in Your Business

Four remodelers with impressive growth shared expert advice at The Pinnacle Experience. Here's what they said
 

Getting Your Team to Speak the Same Language

Most mistakes can be traced to poor communication. Here’s how RIKB Design Build strives to end that

You Need to Talk About It: Mental Health in Construction

Men in the construction industry die by suicide at a rate nearly four times the national average. What should business leaders do about it?

Cheap and Bloated

In 50 years, will Americans know the difference between well-crafted homes with visual harmony and cheaply built chaos?

Today’s Consumer is Your Biggest Competitor

Understanding the real competitor allows you to sharpen the correct skills

7 Don'ts for Remodelers to Remember in Today's Market

The only sure thing about the current environment is that it will change. Here are some guidelines to help ride the wave of uncertainty

Owners: Please Go On Vacation—Your Company Will Thank You For It

One remodeler’s perspective on how taking time away from your company benefits your business

Cracking the Remodeling Sales Code

What's the secret to great remodeling sales in today's market? Mark Richardson offers 10 suggestions

Advertisement
boombox2 -
Advertisement
halfpage2 -
Advertisement
native1 -

More in Category


Business

On the Horizon?

A significant percentage of single-family homes sold today are purchased by investment firms­ as rental properties. What does this mean for remodelers in the future?



Advertisement
native2 -
Advertisement
halfpage1 -
Advertisement
leaderboard1 -