YORKTON – The Yorkton Chamber of Commerce held their Chamber Business Forum June 8 at St. Mary's Cultural Centre.
The event featured a panel discussion among local business people from various industries with the focus being on the attraction and retention of employees.
During it, panellists discussed the different types of ways that they attract potential employees and their strategies to retain those same employees.
"Attracting is typically the hardest part," said Brady Harland Owner of Joe Beeverz Restaurant, during the panel discussion, adding, "retaining — I find — is the easy part."
Harland said he focuses on the well-being of his staff.
"As the owner I take care of my managers, my managers take care of my staff, my staff take care of my customers," said Harland, adding, "our job as a manager is to make our staff look like the all stars."
"We have about 240 people that we're managing right now," said Marilyn Britton, Human Resources Manager with Grain Millers Canada, noting, the company had about a 1 per cent turnover consistently month-to-month.
"We feel we're doing something correct in our retention to be able to maintain those numbers," said Britton.
Britton noted the company has a strong on-boarding process and they hire internally where it's applicable.
"We think it's really important to hire from within," said Britton, adding, "it gives people an opportunity to grow — to see development."
"When you hire people you hope that they're on the right seat on the bus, but sometimes they're not and they prefer different shifts and using different skills — so we're fortunate that we can move people around that way and still keep them in the company," said Britton, adding, "it is really a morale booster to see people tranfer and to promote."
"Key things in the workplace is communication...we try to be transparent, we try to be realistic — we have recognition programs, we have service awards, we do gifts for new parents, retirement awards — we listen to hear, we don't listen to respond," said Britton.
"We talk to our people, we try to empower them, we offer permanent full time positions which is an attraction to local people — they don't have to move and they don't have to be on the road," said Britton.
"What we do in our business you can't go to school and learn how to do it," said Brook Andres, Owner Triple A Directional Drilling, adding, "we have to train our employees and it usually takes about a year."
Andres said his company offers commissioned based payment, which he said offers incentives to employees.
"Guys who get paid according to what they do — not only are they happier, they work harder — it benefits us as well," said Andres, "it has been a plus for us."
"I feel attracting [employees] is a by-product of retaining," said Rohit Sikand, Divsional Sales Manager with Staples, "if you retain your employees you attract employees."
"We have people who have been with our company for twenty years," said Sikand, "people like to have insurances, people like to have employee discounts and people like to have paid hollidays."
"Predominantly, accommodating people for their personal needs, being receptive to change," said Dave Rusnak of Rusnak Balacko Kachur Rusnak Law Firm.
"I've been with the firm for over 40 years and I have staff that have been there longer than I have," said Rusnak.
"We try and compensate people well within the range of what's recommended for their job description — maybe try to pay them even better than that," said Rusnak, noting his firm focuses on being flexible and accommodating for employees.
"Our guys work long hard hours in the summer months so we allow them to have an overtime bank," said Nicole Campell, Owner of Yorkton Concrete 2012 Ltd.
"It's volunteer — it's not mandatory to bank their overtime hours — but it's there if any of them want," said Campell, adding, "a lot of our employees take us up on that."
