Big raises seem like a no-brainer if you want to make sure your top employees stay with you. But they really aren’t the key to retention.

What is?

According to Shane Burton, a Jiffy Lube store owner and area manager with three stores in Twin Falls, Idaho, and four more in Idaho Falls, and his business partners Kahlan Williams and Dave Shelly, the journey to strong employee retention rates begins in the interview process.

Winning the Race from the Starting Grid

Burton, a multiple-time store owner of the year with Jiffy Lube, says, “The first step (to keeping a good employee) is the interview, when you’re actually hiring the person. And you better know what you’re looking for. And you’d better express those intentions and expectations clearly when you hire somebody.”

He adds, “Because if you don’t right off the bat, you’ve already created a division between you and the employee.”

Since it can be hard to find that diamond in the rough immediately, Burton says he and Williams are usually somewhere in the interview process and looking for the ideal candidates for their lube stores.

“We want to find that person that fits, (one) that we want, because we always believe that if you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen,” Burton says. “For us, they better have high character.”

The two business associates say their strategy for hiring employees that will “stick” revolves around the Golden Rule—treat people the way you want to be treated.

So, Burton emphasizes making certain a job candidate comes off as someone who is willing to fulfill that Golden Rule.

As he says, “That includes our managers through to the employees, through to the customers,” And he adds, “We weed out (new hires) within the first two weeks, and we know exactly who that person is and we know who to invest our time and energy into.”

A Competitive Salary Helps Win Top Job Candidates

Burton and Williams agree that it’s important for employers to consider from the get-go what employees are looking for, too, and what will keep them happy and engaged.

“Obviously, competitive salary is a big deal. You’d better pay well,” Burton states.

While Idaho has a relatively low minimum wage, according to Burton, he sees other quick lube employers in his area consistently exceeding it. So, he and Williams make sure to step their wages up a notch above their competitors.

For instance, he says,“(Here), the minimum is $10 to $11 starting, at most places, and we start a few bucks over that.”

From there, each person hired by Burton and Williams knows from the interview process that their performance and certain positions they may obtain will result in automatic raises.

“So, if you want them to stay at least two months, if you put automatic raises (into) job requirements, you’re going to keep them,” Burton finds.

In addition, if owners and managers can hook a new employee for a couple of months, that employee will have a decent chance to engage a bit, and that will also make them unlikely to search for a new job.

As Burton notes, “A little quote I like to say is true of all people … ‘Change is inevitable and everyone resists change.’”

In the meantime, during an employee’s first few months when they’re unlikely to pick up and go somewhere else, Williams and Burton are observing.

“We’re watching, learning, and seeing how much energy this employee (is putting forward), because it’s really up to them,” Burton says.

The gist: Employees’ behavior will dictate how far they will go within the company.

Sensing Management Potential from the Rolling Start

To keep top new hires onboard, it’s important for them to witness the team culture and the job potential ahead.

As Burton describes, “The manager is extremely important within our company. So we can’t have a half-hearted manager. They have to be vested, and we take care of them. We pay (managers and assistant managers) very well, because we rely on managers tremendously.”

For Burton and Williams, their entire ongoing hiring process is one that ensures employee retention by making sure that everyone stays afloat because the business is successful.

He adds, “I think there’s a lot of companies that have the wrong bus driver, one who shouldn’t be driving the bus for your company. And we don’t allow that. We select our managers and they have to be good coaches, good mentors, and good people.”

Invaluable Gauges of Strong Employee Retention Strategies

After a good employee passes the two-month flag and begins to settle in, customers will then let quick lube managers and owners know if their retention strategies are on par.

As an example, Burton says, he and Williams dot their i’s and cross their t’s in the area of customer service. And if their employees and managers are lacking in this critical area for business success, they’ll know it immediately.

“I don’t know how many letters and notes I have from people who have come from out of state and have accidentally had to get their oil changed at our facility (during their journey),” Burton says. “They have taken the time to write an entire letter on how they wish our Jiffy Lube was next to their home in whatever state.”

He adds, “I really appreciate when they do that because that’s a reflection on our managers doing their job.”

And it all begins with Williams’ and Burton’s retention strategies, which evidently take the checkered flag.