So, you’ve finally made it. You’ve become the owner of a franchise location, and it’s time to build an effective and reliable team. This might sound easier said than done, but there are steps you can take to establish the team your business needs. If you are in the process of choosing employees, managers, and supervisors, here are some team-building tips that will prove beneficial to both you and your franchise.
Franchise Hiring 101
1. Utilize Pre-Employment Assessments
If you are struggling with franchise staffing, you should consider the power of a pre-employment assessment. These assessments help you find out more about the personality, goals, dreams, and working style of each potential employee. Everyone is unique, but you only want to hire the best of the best. You can achieve this by working with top pre-employment assessment companies, like Sprockets.
The idea of issuing an assessment to potential hires might seem daunting at first, but it is an effective way to find workers who will best support your business goals. Company culture is important as well, and an assessment can help you find out which applicants will work well together and contribute to a positive workplace environment.
2. Be an Effective Leader
There is no doubt about it; when it comes to franchise staffing, you will need to be an effective leader, even when your employees are not present. You must be able to inspire your employees and encourage them to perform at their optimal level.
Keep in mind that imposing your will in an authoritarian manner is not necessarily the way to go when leading others. As the leader, you must be able to foster a culture of transparency and trust, and you must be honest and open with your employees about any potential problems your franchise faces.
Here are some of the skills you should have to be an effective leader:
- Communicate clearly: Your team must understand the primary goals of your business at all times. If they do not, you must be willing to help them realize their role in the project and how it impacts the bigger picture.
- Delegate wisely: As much as you might like to at times, you can’t do everything by yourself. You must have the ability to delegate certain tasks to others. Delegating is an important part of leadership. Also, keep in mind that some individuals are better at specific things than others — use this realization to your advantage.
- Be approachable: You can’t be everyone’s best friend, but your franchise employees must be comfortable coming to you with questions and concerns. They should feel as if their voices will be heard and valued.
- See the bigger picture: The ability to see the bigger picture is an integral part of being a leader. Small details matter, but you should be able to see how they combine to create a bigger idea. Keep your eye on the end goal while managing day-to-day tasks.
Any team that doesn’t have a strong and direct leader will quickly fall apart. Always be sure to lead by example and serve as the focal point of your team.
3. Define What an “Effective” Team Is
Creating a team that flawlessly executes every single task you set before them is not easy. To build a sufficient franchise team, all individuals involved must collaborate and make conscious efforts to achieve certain goals. If you want your team to be effective at all times, the following elements must be present:
- Clear roles: Each team member must have a clear understanding of who does what. They should also understand what they are responsible for and how it impacts the entire company.
- Excellent communication: Your team members should feel comfortable speaking their minds (in a respectful manner, of course), and everyone should feel heard. As a leader, you should feel comfortable providing guidance and correcting errors, if necessary.
- Clearly defined objectives: Without clearly defined objectives, it will be nearly impossible to complete any task. Make sure your employees understand what is expected of them at both an individual and group level.
- Cooperation: Although everyone should understand what is expected at an individual level, they must remember that they are part of a team. Always emphasize the importance of collaboration and group goals.
Once you decide what will make your franchise location great, you should decide what will make your team great. Only hire employees who can add their own brand of greatness.
4. Encourage Team Cohesion
Without a cohesive team, it will be hard for your business to excel. Cohesion among team members is immensely important if you intend to run a franchise location, so you must take steps to help your team members feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves. Ideally, your team should be self-sufficient and capable of performing excellently without you having to guide them through every single step. Training such a team can take time, however. You must ensure your team members feel comfortable working with each other, even when you are not around.
There are numerous ways to help your team become more cohesive and goal-oriented. Team-building exercises can help your employees build trust and depend on each other to some degree. You should also encourage your employees to get to know each other. This is often easier said than done, but you can break the ice with after-work gatherings, casual lunches, and other fun group activities.
Finally, you should encourage your employees to collaborate with each other. If each team member is only focused on themselves, it will be difficult to reach company goals. Set collective goals and reward your team for meeting them. You can also have more experienced team members mentor less experienced members or those who are struggling.
5. Encourage an Environment of Contribution
If you really want your franchise location to grow and expand, you should try harnessing your employees’ ideas. Every person is unique, just like their perspectives and beliefs. When you take the perspectives of others seriously, you have the opportunity to add fresh ideas into the mix. Your employees might feel uncomfortable contributing new ideas at first, but by creating an atmosphere of trust and respect, you can quickly put their fears to rest.
Encourage your employees to share more information than usual about their progress. By asking for feedback and reports, you can gauge each employee’s level of contribution as well as see how close the team is, as a whole, to meeting overall goals. Make your employees feel like their ideas and feelings matter to the franchise and their leader.
Build the Best Team With Sprockets
Building the right team can contribute greatly to the success of your business. Finding the right employees to staff your franchise location can seem difficult at first, but there are ways to simplify the process and ensure you assemble the best team possible. By keeping the previously mentioned tips in mind, you can build a team you can rely on and be proud of for years to come.
Plus, you can utilize the Sprockets platform to enhance your hiring process and reduce costly turnover. Our sophisticated, AI-powered solution combines psychology and technology to find the ideal employees to suit your needs. Our Applicant Matching System automatically analyzes the mental makeup of applicants to determine who will — and won’t — be a good fit for your team within minutes. It’s not magic — it’s logic.