APRIL 2019 | 19
Hints & Tips
Read online at www.proinstaller.co.uk
FIRECO COLUMN
‘
Great work warrants
immediate praise
’
Here are some tips to recruit the
good ones:
• The more you see, the more
likely you are to get the good
ones. Don’t skimp on pay-
ing recruitment fees where
necessary.
• Look at their job history
record. Lots of short stays at
jobs suggests problems. Previ-
ous pay rises and promotions
suggest the opposite.
• Take up references and always
try to call. Most referees try
to be as positive as they can,
but the longer you talk, the
more you get the unvarnished
truth.
• If you can, bring people in
for a day’s work so you can
both see how well they fit in.
There’s nothing like seeing
their real work.
Once you have great staff on
board, you want to keep them
motivated. Here are some of the
do’s and don’ts:
• Keep the lines of communica-
tion open. Explain details of
jobs and your priorities, they
aren’t mind readers. Ask for
their opinion on everything
happening in the business.
The biggest complaints from
staff are that nobody asked
me and nobody told me.
• When someone has put in
great performance, praise
them in public. Great work
warrants immediate praise.
• Always save any rebuke for a
private meeting. Public humil-
iation will always prevent the
person hearing what you want
to say and is the most demo-
tivating thing you can ever
do. Other staff that initially
wanted them pulled up can
instead become embarrassed
and sympathetic.
• Try to make any meeting to
correct staff as soon after the
problem arises as possible.
Letting things slide is easier
short term but much harder
in the long run. Ensure that
everything you say is as con-
structive as possible and ask
questions. Never give them a
hard time to get revenge or
make yourself feel better.
• Never emphasise that “this
is my business”. You want
employees to behave as if
it is their business too, not
yours.
• Remember people will be mo-
tivated when they feel treated
fairly and can take pride in
their job. Following the ad-
vice on communicating with
them is always a good start.
• Also remember that a high
salary is not a motivator but a
belief that they are underpaid
is a huge demotivator. That’s
why you have to watch the
difference between salaries.
In ending
Sometimes we can make things
too complicated in business and
I expect that you will find some
of the ideas here obvious. The
problem is that getting around to
doing the obvious can be a chal-
lenge. My hope is that this article
is an encouragement to get on
with it. Good luck!
www.powerednow.com
How to be compliant
with fire safety
Fire safety is often overlooked as,
luckily, fires don’t happen all the
time. Companies who don’t have
the right precautions in place are
more likely to lose stock, property
and even their business. In the worst
circumstances, lives can be lost.
There are regulations in
place to minimise the risk, and
spread of fire. Here are some
aspects it covers:
Clear corridors - It is impor-
tant that nothing is obstruct-
ing the path. This is to make
sure people can evacuate
easily, and will also improve
access for firefighters.
Fire exits - It needs to be
clearly signed which doors
are fire exits. This is to avoid
confusion and allow for an
easy escape.
Evacuation plans - All
businesses need an up to date
emergency evacuation plan. It
needs to contain instructions
on what people should do in
the event of an emergency.
Emergency doors - Any ex-
its that are for the purpose of
escape must open effortlessly.
They should never be blocked
or locked.
Fire equipment - Extin-
guishers should be in plain
sight and accessible.
Maintain
compartmentation - Fire
doors should never be wedged
open, and should be checked
regularly. The building also
needs to be kept in a fire safe
condition, e.g. holes or gaps in
walls or voids need to be filled.
Fire resistant materials must
always been used.
There is always the possi-
bility of a fire. But the risk can
be reduced if you comply with
fire regulations and the cor-
rect preventative measures
are in place.
www.fireco.uk