ImagesMagUK_November_2021

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT KB Marshall Atkinson is a production and efficiency expert for the decorated apparel industry, and the owner of Atkinson Consulting and co-founder of Shirt Lab, a sales and marketing education company, with Tom Rauen. He focuses on operational efficiency, continuous improvement, workflow strategy, business planning, employee motivation, management and sustainability. www.atkinsontshirt.com referral to hire someone. This is paid after the new employee makes it to their 90-day review. When paying the money, don’t make it a secret, give the cheque to the staff member at the group meeting, so everyone can see that payout. This really takes hold when the same person gets multiple cheques. Pay attention to pay One reason why you may not be able to find employees is your current pay scale. When someone can make £13 or £16 an hour making a sandwich, why would they want to work for you for £11? You need to pay attention to pay rates. Yes, it isn’t fair. Raise your prices. Get better customers. Do what it takes. Also, if you really want to get on top of the situation, find out the top end wage in your area and offer about 10% over that. Long gone are the days that everyone kept what they make a secret. Now, it’s posted on the internet or shared in the break room. Shops that take care of their employees are not having trouble finding people to work for them. This includes benefits such as health insurance and other perks. In fact, I know several shops in hotter climates that completely air-conditioned their shops because that is one way they attracted more skilled employees. Also, since one of the reasons why many women haven’t gone back to work is the increased rates for childcare, I’ve heard of a few shops that are offering that. I haven’t spoken to anyone about this but thought I would mention it. The UK has some of the highest childcare costs in the world, and at the end of last year, the Fawcett Society reported that over a third of working mothers had lost work or hours due to a lack of childcare during the pandemic. Social media Yes, you still need to post that you have job openings. Be creative about it. Show what it is like to work there. Do people look happy? Can you make a video? Working a new job is scary. Nobody knows how to print a T-shirt or embroider a logo on a hat until they are trained. Can you show what is involved so someone could think, “Hey, I can do that!” and apply for the job? Is the application on your website? What do they need to do? You have to make it easy for them. You need to outline the next step. Talk about your shop’s culture By and large, we are a fun industry. Heck, we print T-shirts and embroider on trucker caps. This isn’t brain surgery. More than anything you have to demonstrate what it is like to work for your shop. Who works there now? Why did they start? Oh, Jenny has worked there for five years? What was she doing before? When she started, she was a former waitress at a diner. Now, she’s in charge of shipping. Interview Jen and talk about how that happened and the training involved. The most important thing you can do is to get Jenny to talk enthusiastically about how great it is to work in your shop. Show the before and after. That is what you post with the job opening. Try it, and see what happens. Show what it is like to work there 72 images NOVEMBER 2021 www.images-magazine.com