Meeting the Needs of Your Chamber Staff: Retention Ideas
This article on chamber staff retention is part of the Meeting the Needs Series that is designed to help chamber professionals meet the individual needs of certain market segments. See the footer of this article for a list of posts in this series.
Chambers of commerce are often a bit of a “training” ground or “springboard” for businesses that are hiring in the community. Chambers hire staff that works hard on behalf of businesses in the area. By doing so, these chamber staff members often catch the eye of hiring managers and business owners. These bright staffers are frequently lured away with higher salaries, more extensive benefits packages, and shorter work days. It’s hard to compete but we’ve got some great strategies for you so keep reading.
While you can’t tie them to their desks, you can give them pause to leave without doing anything illegal. Here are a few ways to ensure you’re offering them everything you can within your budget.
Know What They Want
No employee is exactly the same as another. Make sure you know how the individual likes to be rewarded and praised. Understand what they see as a nice perk and what’s an absolute must-have. Some things to consider that could be granted with a small budget might include:
- Occasionally working from home
- Flexible start and end times (as long as work is covered)
- Ability to get out of the office (some people just don’t want to sit behind a desk all the time)
- Volunteer hours (they get out of the office to spend time on something they are passionate about and the chamber is represented in the community)
- Snacks or treats on occasion
When an employee starts, take the time to ask them what types of rewards are meaningful to them. Do they like public presentations or private thanks? Do they like gift cards, bonuses, or a day off when they go over and above? That’s not to say you can provide all of these things but they are good to know if the opportunity comes up.
Pass Along Praise
Always pass along praise from your community and members to your chamber staff. You can create image quotes and frame them. Write them on their whiteboard. Print them off and attach the paper to a special treat with a ribbon. Anything to make them feel special and know that the praise they received made you proud of their efforts.
Give Them the Spotlight
A good leader doesn’t hog the spotlight. Look for ways to help your staff shine. One easy way to do this is through reworking your chamber staff page. Here are the basics of what you need:
Pictures of your chamber staff
Chamber staff pictures should be professional and friendly but not look like someone’s yearbook or a Glamour Shots photo. While everyone wants to look their best, you also want members and potential members to be able to recognize your staff from the pictures.
Group photos are nice but it is sometimes difficult to tell who is who or see faces clearly. If you want to include group photos, include single shots as well.
If your staff is small, include your board members on the same page under a different header.
Title
Titles should be listed under individual photos. You can have some fun with creative titles as a hover-over. This will cause people to spend more time on page.
Method of contact
Business today requires some method of contact even if for the executive director. Email is the preferred method of contact for lots of people out there, especially Generation X and Y.
A Great Example of a Chamber Staff Page
The Columbia, South Carolina Chamber’s staff page is wonderful. It’s friendly and inviting. In fact, the pictures look like the staff is comprised of the friendliest people on earth. They’re smiling, but it’s not forced. They’re outdoors looking professional and enjoying themselves. There’s a cohesive look to the shots but they’re not cloned pictures and when you click on them, it downloads their contact info on a v-card.