If you’ve been operating a franchise or two for a while, you’re probably familiar with all of the challenges involved, especially when it comes to the management of people.
While many problems in a franchise can be mitigated by making changes to the supply chain or changing up the marketing plan, those related to people require a special touch — especially these days. Because the market remains challenging when it comes to hiring, it’s important to keep your valued employees in-house.
How can you do that? It starts and ends with effective leadership. Not only do you need to lead from the top, but you also need to build a network of solid leaders within your franchise. A strong leadership team is a marker of a strong workplace culture—one that employees are less likely to leave.
But how can you find those leaders? As someone in the business of finding and nurturing leaders as a franchise consultants, I have a few tips to share. Read on!
- Look Inside First
Need to hire a manager for the night shift? Before you start a robust search online and through other means, look at your existing talent first. You may find that your next leader is already on your employee roster! Those already working for your franchise will have a level of knowledge and understanding that you can’t teach.
- Create a Leadership Program
In some cases, franchise organizations already have a leadership development program of some sort in place. This might be a pathway to
management positions, or something similar. But if not, it can be a valuable tool. Use this program as a way to provide employees who are interested in moving up the ladder with training and insights that will help them get there.
- Offer All Employees Training
True leadership doesn’t require a title. Many leaders within your franchise may be those who simply take on the role of mentoring, encouraging and setting a positive example for other employees. Build up this layer of informal leadership by ensuring you have ongoing training programs in place to provide additional skills or enhance those that employees already have.
- When Looking Outside, Choose Wisely
At some point, you’ll need to bring in talent from outside the franchise. When you do, though, be careful not to misstep. You want leaders who mesh well with the rest of your team. This means they need to not only have a set of hard skills that’s necessary to fill the role, but they also need to have the soft skills needed to interact most effectively with others.
Ready to put your skills to use as a franchisee? Get in touch with a franchise consultant today to find the franchise that’s perfect for your needs!