Does your mission inspire people to come to work? Does the vision tell people where you want the business to go? Are your core values really the guiding principles that the business uses to manage internal and external relationships? Beyond these, and as an alternative to simply paying significantly higher wages to outbid the competition, elements to consider in creating the differentiation, that uniqueness, are non-traditional benefits.

“If the Jon from five years ago has anything further to add, perhaps this idea still has merit: ‘Your office is your second home. Arguably, you spend more time in your workspace with your work peeps than with your actual family, so making it an enjoyable and functional environment should be a priority,’” Jon Isaacson writes.

Remember, good is the enemy of great. You might pay little attention to accountability standards and still find a way to grow a good company. But especially at a time when customers and employees have more choices than ever, and margins continue to grow thinner, becoming a truly great company in the long term requires 100% accountability throughout your entire organization, Scott Severe writes.

The motivation paradigm is described as the reasons we do the things we do in the manner we do them. Over the years, I have taken the position that money does not motivate, nor is it necessarily an effective tool that creates desired outcomes. Appreciation ranks higher than money, believe it or not, when it comes to motivation, Lisa Lavender writes.

In 2016, Benjamin Surdi, founder and CEO of PureDry Restoration, purchased a business that was in major debt and all-around bad shape. Since then, the company has quadrupled in size and revenue, and it is a recognized market leader in Washington State.

This article likely will not convince you to become a soccer player, but maybe it will remind you to stop and think about whether your frustration is aimed at the right causes. Many employers are struggling to recruit, hire, and retain good talent. This isn’t a new problem but recent events have compounded the issue. As I have said in prior articles, blaming the current workforce will not help you turn the tide. You need a winning perspective.

This special-edition episode features a prestigious panel of Ladder Award finalists from 2021 and 2020. They share innovative ways they are helping advance the property restoration industry, as well as their vision for its future. 

After years of putting out fires and pointing the finger at employees, Eric Sprague and Larry Wilberton learned to point the finger at themselves. Here, Sprague shares how he and Wilberton transformed their restoration company into one with high engagement, performance and profit.

A lot of people talk about marketing their company, but not enough of them have actual data to back up what they say and think.

Now, more than ever, it’s a “buyer’s market” for labor with workers having the power to choose the organization, culture and job opportunity they want to “buy.” Your task is to be sure that your business entices the right employees to want to buy it over others.