Moving Words – Exit Right

Written and submitted by Timothy Brady

No, this is not about acting and stage directions, nor is it about how you take an exit ramp correctly. What we’re talking about is how to find out what your moving company is doing correctly and where you’re in need of improvement when it comes to managing your movers and van operators. It’s called the ‘Exit Interview.’

When an employee or contractor has decided to leave your company, they have one or more reasons. What those reasons are can be very important, as to how well you retain your current movers and what you need to do differently as you recruit and hire new ones. Movers depart for many different reasons: concerns with family, pay, equipment, other personnel; lack of respect, retirement, or because they’ve been offered what appears to be a more lucrative opportunity with another mover or even in an unrelated industry.

Exit Interviews are a respectful business practice. They provide vital information which assists your company in discovering a deeper understanding of what drives movers to quit. And who knows, there’s always the possibility that with a direct and honest conversation between you and the departing mover, it was all a big misunderstanding and you’ll retain a quality employee or contractor.

The most important part of any Exit Interview is the understanding that the conversation is going to be held in utmost confidentiality, and you want honest responses as to why he or she is leaving. By finding out the true reasons for their departure, each interviewee will feel respected. And just like having a customer who feels respected, having a former employee/contractor feel the same will benefit you in future recruiting efforts. A person who felt respected will more likely speak positively about your company than someone who left with a chip on his or her shoulder. It’s crucial the Exit Interview environment be comfortable and without judging the about-to-depart individual. The purpose of the entire process is to evaluate you and your moving company’s policies and handling of movers and van operators.

Oh, the things you’ll learn when you allow the employee/contractor to speak freely and honestly.

The areas in which you need to invest, in order to receive the greatest return on your recruiting and retention efforts, will show up in sharp relief. When that Exit Interview provides honest feedback about company operations, you’ll learn what motivates the industry’s best movers and van operators. The better the mover you’re losing, the more important this information. Discovering what drives a good employee/contractor to leave is useful in retaining the movers and van operators that you already have and don’t want to lose. Remember, it’s all in the details. You want the answers to the hard questions, especially ones that begin with ‘how’ and ‘why.’ Keep in mind you’re going to receive some answers that are difficult to take and even some advice that’s hard to swallow. But the more it raises your hackles, the more important it’s likely to be.

You’re going to learn what other moving companies are using to entice movers and van operators to switch over to their company. Now, this isn’t saying you can or even should try to duplicate what others are doing. However, it gives you a much better picture of what your competition is resorting to and can assist in your development of policies to combat them. The more Exit Interviews you complete, the better picture you’ll have of the characteristics necessary for a mover or van operator who will best fit the culture of your operation.

Every moving company has a different culture. You may specialize in small moves, COD moves, military moves, corporate moves, local moves, office and commercial moves or a number of variances within all those mentioned. Each takes certain talents and abilities or ways the shippers are handled. The more you understand your moving company’s culture, the better you’ll select the right people to move and handle your shippers’ belongings.

Now here’s the retention nugget you can take away from this article. When you deem any employee/contractor fits your culture, keep in touch with him or her. If you don’t, you’ll never know when your former associates’ circumstances or situations change. More often than not, movers and van operators will quit chasing greener pastures, once they realize how valuable working with your company was. Checking in with quality movers every couple of months or so after they’ve left to see how things are going will have a profound result. The return rate to your company will surprise you.

Helping your former movers and van operators ‘exit right’ will give you results that will amaze you and benefit that bottom line.

Timothy D. Brady
www.timothybrady.com
731-749-8567