For family businesses hiring non-family members, balancing employee engagement between family and non-family employees is crucial. Engaged employees, whether family or non-family, contribute to a productive, innovative, and cohesive workplace. Here are best practices and actionable items to increase employee engagement in your family business.

1. Foster Inclusive Communication: Ensure that communication channels are open and transparent for both family and non-family employees. Regularly share updates on company goals, progress, and changes with the entire team. Encourage feedback from everyone, making sure non-family employees feel heard and valued. Tools like team meetings, newsletters, and suggestion boxes can help facilitate this inclusivity.

2. Establish Clear Roles and Expectations: Clearly define roles and responsibilities for all employees. This helps to avoid confusion and ensures that everyone understands their contribution to the company's success. Regular performance reviews and setting individual goals aligned with company objectives are essential.

3. Recognize and Reward Achievements Equally: Acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of both family and non-family employees. Recognition can be verbal praise, written notes, or public acknowledgment during meetings. Implement a rewards program that provides tangible incentives for all employees, ensuring fairness and transparency.

4. Invest in Professional Development for All: Offer opportunities for skill development and career advancement to both family and non-family employees. This can include training sessions, workshops, and access to online courses. By investing in everyone's growth, you demonstrate that you value all employees' futures with the company.

5. Create a Unified Work Environment: Cultivate a supportive and inclusive workplace culture that bridges the gap between family and non-family employees. Organize team-building activities, social events, and foster an open-door policy. Ensure that the work environment is physically and emotionally safe for all employees.

6. Promote Work-Life Balance for Everyone: Encourage a healthy work-life balance by offering flexible working hours, remote work options, and adequate time off to both family and non-family employees. When employees feel balanced in their personal and professional lives, they are more likely to stay engaged and productive.

By implementing these best practices, family businesses can create a more engaged and motivated workforce, ensuring that both family and non-family employees feel valued and integral to the company’s success. Remember, engaged employees are the cornerstone of a thriving business, and inclusivity is key to fostering that engagement.

Want to learn more? Attend our upcoming Employee Engagement webinar 

LEGACIES | INSIGHTS FOR ESTABLISHED FAMILY BUSINESSES

The food service industry is plagued with over 110% average turnover rate. We cycle through employees like we are changing out the laundry. For the first six years of owning a restaurant this was the norm. At tax time, we would have over 100 w2’s going out to people who no longer worked for us. The time and money spent on training was moving to levels that no small business owner wants to see. It was time for my company, Gaston Street Eats Co., to make a change.

If you want your team to care about your business, you have care about them. The first step I took was to create a leadership development program “book club” for my managers. I pulled books from different areas of leadership and once a month we would get together and discuss. Over the course of the first year, I saw the attitudes and demeaner of my staff began to change. They were stepping up and helping each other out. Gossip diminished and made way for uplifting words of encouragement. Helpfulness and dedication to getting the job done prevailed.

Before I knew what was happening, the non-management staff requested to be a part of the book club. The following year we made it mandatory that all staff members participate. We offer “PTO” time for reading the book and participating in the group discussions. Over the last four years, we have had a drop of 50% in turn over rates and experienced a huge increase in teamwork and overall employee satisfaction with their job performance. 

Investing directly into the lives of my team has made a huge difference in the culture of my business. The atmosphere when you walk in the door is jovial and vibrant, full of life and excitement. Taking time to show my team how much I care about them has made all the difference in the growth of Gaston Street Eats Co.

How to start a Leadership Development Book Club

1. Find books that speak to your team. I have a young staff, most under age 25, so I concentrate on books that are relatable and industry specific.

2. Provide all the reading materials or audible subscriptions for the team.

3. Create questions for each book that you send out in advance of the meeting.

4. Have a white board or flip chart so you can write down ideas and thoughts that arise during the discussion so the team can reflect on them during the month.

5. Guide the discussion but let the team speak openly about their thoughts.

6. Over the course of the year, vary your books to keep the discussions fresh. (I go back and forth between inspirational, leadership, psychology, and practical application books.)

7. A great book to start with is “Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior” by Erik Erikson.

Lastly, enjoy the experience with your team and watch the magic happen!

Want to learn more? How to Manage Employees In Family Business