Finding and Training Talented Managers

Finding Good Managers

Finding good managers in the laundry industry can be very tough because not many people are aware that the industry even exists. A good way of looking for managers would be reaching out to schools and upcoming graduates who are interested in management but haven’t discovered or been exposed to the linen and textile laundry industry. TRSA does a great job helping connect employers to prospective managers through their internship program. They have over 200 submitted resumes just in their second year of operation and have positions in management, engineering, sales and marketing. 

Another good way to find managers is to look within the existing industry or even within your own plant. Recruiting existing managers is the best way to ensure that you are going to hire the right person but there is going to be a great deal of competition to get the best person working for you.

Another route you could go is promoting the best employees in your plant to be a manager. This has its pros and cons. On the one hand, they already understand the culture, equipment and processes very well. However, there could be hidden costs with this path, because they’ll need to be properly trained on what it takes to be a manager. This aspect could be a huge hit or miss in your operations because it is either going to be very natural for them or they will struggle to become a great manager. To avoid this, make sure you expose your upcoming managers to training workshops and courses.

This is great for companies that have the budget to do so, but what if there is no budget for training and you’ll need to do all your training in house?

Creating Talented Managers

Not every company has the ability nor can afford to send their managers to training conventions or purchase courses that teach them how to be a good manager. Also, at the same time, not every company has the internal capacity to train good managers themselves. According to Paycor, there are five important qualities in good managers:

1. Ability to relinquish control to employees
   Managers need to be able to let their employees do their job. They can still provide help without the need for micromanagement.

2. Understand the big picture
   Managers need to understand all the areas of the business and how they all fit together. Without any sort of co-integration, there are bound to be many speed bumps in the road ahead.

3. Critical thinking
   Managers need to be able to think critically and be able to see beyond what is directly in front of them. This greatly reduces downtime when there are problems with employees or equipment.

5. Communication
   Managers need to be able to effectively communicate what they expect of their employees without putting them down. There should be a good balance of kindness and sternness.
6. Self-awareness
   Managers finally need to know when they are communicating poorly and what they can do to prevent it and keep good communication habits.

How Do You Train Brand New managers?

More often than not, if you were to promote a worker to a management position, they are going to already exhibit most of these characteristics. So, what else should you focus on while developing them? Paycor also says that there are three steps to help further improve your management:

1. Build other leadership qualities
   There are obviously many more good qualities other than the five that were previously listed. Spend time developing your managers’ skills and behaviors to be an even better role model in the workplace.

2. Set up structured learning
   Instill a new way to teach other workers to reflect good qualities as well. These can be things such as meetings (face-to-face or group) and online courses. These may come with a small cost but the benefits from this extra development will greatly outweigh them.

3. Follow up with them
   Make sure that the new management is running smoothly. If not, help them to get back on track again, without micromanagement.

These steps are a sure way to bring out the full potential in your new managers and will ultimately lead to a much better running plant.