As new restorers enter the workforce, high turnover remains a critical problem for many restoration companies.

Is it that younger generations simply do not want to learn or work? Or, are they more invested in knowing the ‘how’ and the ‘why’ of their jobs and expect this information to be readily available at their fingertips?

Welcome back to “Winning with Workers,” the KnowHow monthly series that explores foundational principles for attracting and retaining the best talent in the restoration industry. Inspired by our book Winning with Workers, we spotlight different restoration leaders who embody core principles and are willing to share their secret sauce for success—so you can win, too.

This month, we’re excited to feature Steve Glozik, President of FP Property Restoration, to discuss the principle of democratizing how-to and equipping today's workforce with the critical knowledge they need to excel. 

Rethinking Training, Onboarding, and Knowledge Sharing for Today’s Worker

Steve, who leads a team of 56 full-time employees, understands the challenges of equipping them with the right information in a way that aligns with their learning preferences. 

So what’s Steve’s take on the younger generation not wanting to work? 

“That’s not true,” Steve asserts. “They’ll surprise you—they want to [learn] on their own terms, even during off-hours. They will shock me with their knowledge after a deep dive. But they want to know the ‘why’ and the ‘how’,” Steve emphasizes.

Steve's insights highlight the importance of rethinking how restoration businesses approach training and knowledge sharing to ensure that information is accessible, engaging, and effective in meeting the demands of today's workforce.

But, equipping today’s workforce with the ‘why’ and the ‘how’ is easier said than done.

Employees often step onto job sites with limited to no training. While they might rely on a quick Google search to fix their cars on the weekends, they get on-site and are no longer as self-sufficient. Workers are confronted with the burden of flipping through lengthy or outdated manuals, peppering seasoned colleagues with questions, or having to call their managers to find the basic answers they need. It can be discouraging—and a waste of valuable time and resources.

Steve recognized the need to rethink employee onboarding and training to address these pressing issues. 

Increasing Retention during the Great Resignation

The Great Resignation was the catalyst for Steve. As a huge influx of workers across industries resigned from their jobs in 2021, the need to revamp traditional training and onboarding methods to attract and retain talent became an urgent need.

It was a critical moment to enhance how new hires were integrated into the company.

"The Great Resignation brought an influx of people wanting to work differently—many deciding to work from home or wanting more flexibility," Steve explains. "We had leaders repeatedly spending significant time training new hires, which was frustrating and pulled them out of their primary roles."

It was inefficient and ineffective for all involved. The need for a streamlined approach became a necessity, not a ‘nice to have’.

"We started looking at how we could streamline this and implement a self-paced, oversight-driven training model," Steve says. By implementing a self-paced, mobile-first training model with KnowHow, FP Property Restoration allowed employees to access the information they needed at their own pace, while still overseeing their progress.

“We started seeing that we could monitor it, keep the same [training] itineraries, tweak them, add videos, add processes, and push all these things electronically,” Steve notes. The shift not only streamlined onboarding but also made it easier to retrain employees.

By being able to dive into specific areas that needed improvement and offer more targeted training, Steve saw that “even ‘okay’ candidates could become great employees with continuous access to information and training resources.”

Steve’s strategy improved retention rates and empowered employees to take charge of their learning—something that is extremely important to today’s workers.

How to equip today’s Workforce for Success

Steve has seen meaningful results and continued success in his mission to understand what today’s workforce needs and equip them accordingly. He shares his five insights for achieving similar results with your business.

1. Reduce Stress and Increase Growth Opportunities

Steve is a big proponent of working smarter, not harder. This mindset often involves letting go of traditional methods that are no longer serving your business and embracing new solutions. But the returns are worth it.

FP Property Restoration has reduced stress and fostered growth by allowing employees to learn at their own pace and focusing on smarter, technology-driven methods. These new methods have also broken down knowledge silos and encouraged more collaboration.

"We found that by taking small parts of a skill set and training incrementally,” such as creating standardized, step-by-step processes for different tasks, “we could reduce the burden on experienced staff and create a more supportive environment," Steve says.

Less burden on veteran workers means that key players can once again focus on their strengths and increase productivity, while also enabling new hires to gradually take on more responsibilities and seize opportunities for growth.

2. Drive Retention and Engagement by Showing Career Pathways

Additionally, FP Property Restoration creates clear pathways for advancement within the company that allow employees to see exactly how they can develop and move up.

“We started creating tech levels—Tech Level 1, Tech Level 2, Tech Level 3—with checklists and training,” Steve explains. This motivated his employees and involved experienced staff in the retention process. By establishing structured progression paths, employees understand the steps needed to advance, which keeps them motivated and engaged.

Job security and workload are always pressing concerns for workers. Reassuring employees that there is a clear and supportive path forward can reduce anxiety about career stability, which enhances a worker’s long-term commitment to the company.

3. Overcome Bottlenecks by Establishing How-To

“You need to get the right people in the right seats and remove those who don’t fit,” Steve says. It can be a tough pill to swallow, but it is crucial for the health of the team. He also emphasizes the importance of creating comprehensive how-to guides to break down knowledge silos and streamline processes. This prevents knowledge hoarding and reduces dependency on specific individuals.

FP Property Restoration has minimized bottlenecks and fostered a more collaborative and efficient work environment by centralizing company how-to and making it easily accessible. This strategy democratizes knowledge and empowers employees to contribute more effectively and self-sufficiently.

4. Start with ‘Why’

Once again, it all comes back to the ‘why’ for today’s generation of workers. If you do not know where to start, start with explaining the ‘why’ behind tasks to keep employees engaged and motivated. “We talk to technicians and say, if I tell you to break down this wall every day, at some point, you’re going to wonder why,” he explains. Helping employees understand the reasons behind their tasks ensures they are not just performing duties but are also learning the purpose behind their work.

Steve advocates for starting with something rather than waiting for perfection. “We made a mistake early on, wanting everything to be perfect. In doing so, we were still making mistakes at the service level because this had to be perfect,” he says.

The focus is on deploying processes, gathering feedback, and continuously improving.

5. Strengthen Knowledge Sharing with Dedicated Trainers

One issue Steve recognized before overhauling onboarding and training was that repetitive questions and continuous re-training responsibilities were burdening veteran staff and company leaders, pulling them out of their main job functions.

Bringing in a dedicated trainer means having a knowledge-sharing champion who eases the burden of dispersing these responsibilities across your staff. It also turns onboarding into a powerful recruiting strategy.

FP Property Restoration leverages trainers to complement their digital tools like KnowHow, creating a comprehensive training experience. New hires benefit from hands-on training in a structured environment, supported by accessible digital resources.

Steve highlights the dual benefits: “We’d even do interviews in the training area to show candidates how they’re going to get trained. It’s a lot of work, but it’s about choosing where to invest your effort for the best long-term results.”

Key Takeaways for Winning with a Modern Workforce

To drive meaningful change and equip your workforce effectively, consider these crucial steps:

• Stop hiding knowledge—be an open book! Transparency is key. Open up your knowledge base and encourage a culture where information is shared freely, and every team member has access to the tools and resources they need to succeed.

• Start addressing your team's biggest stressors. Identify your team's primary pain points and develop targeted solutions. Engage with and solicit employee feedback to understand their challenges and collaborate on effective strategies to remove stressors.

• Invest in building out your knowledge base. Dedicate resources to developing a comprehensive, easily accessible knowledge base. Use platforms like KnowHow to create and maintain a dynamic repository of information, ensuring that all employees have the support they need to perform their tasks efficiently and confidently.  

Steve Glozik's approach at FP Property Restoration highlights the critical role of adaptive training and knowledge sharing for today’s restoration industry workers. Empowering employees with accessible, practical knowledge enhances their performance and significantly boosts retention and engagement.

The evolution towards a more informed and self-sufficient workforce is more than just an initiative—it’s a fundamental shift that companies like FP Property Restoration are spearheading.

Remember, building a robust knowledge-sharing culture is a continuous effort. If consistently nurtured, it promises sustained growth and resilience.

Steve has a lot more expertise and insights to share. Listen to the full interview on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. 

For more resources on building a competent and confident workforce, visit tryknowhow.com.