Page 25 - ARUBA TODAY

BUSINESS Thursday 6 sepTember 2018
A25

Don't go! Surging business sales make staff retention a must

By JOYCE M. ROSENBERG working on their own and
NEW YORK (AP) — Offers had a hard time adapting
of training and stock in to team work.
their new employer weren't "With each person, we sit
enough to keep four out of down and talk to them,
his five staffers when Dennis and ask, 'What are you
Chow sold his information doing now, and what skills
technology firm in 2016. do you have?'" Ahlberg
Chow and the buyers says. "But most of the con-
learned one of the hard versation revolves around,
lessons of a business sale 'What are your hopes and
— despite their best efforts, dreams. What do you want
some employees will leave. to be doing?'"
People departed from Those conversations must
both companies when SCIS be ongoing, Ahlberg says:
Security acquired Chow's "We sit with everyone regu-
Houston-based Xtec Sys- larly to make sure they are
tems, most of them workers heard, we discuss the com-
who didn't like their new as- pany expectations and
signments. define what is expected of
"We lost maybe 25 percent them. We try to leave noth-
of the overall workforce," ing vague."
Chow says. Sometimes there isn't much
As the number of small busi- an owner can do. Steve
ness sales keeps rising, staff Sargent hoped for an easy
retention is a priority — es- transition when he bought
pecially since low unem- an automotive repair shop
ployment makes it easy for in Cary, North Carolina, in
many workers to find new March and turned it into a
jobs. Transactions tallied Mr. Transmission/Milex fran-
by online marketplace Bi- chise. He told the three
zBuySell.com show more staffers they could keep
than 2,700 small businesses their jobs, but changes he
changed hands during the made, including new tech-
second quarter, the most nology to handle trans-
since the count began in actions and accounting,
2007. The trend is being In this Friday, Aug. 17, 2018, photo, John Ahlberg works at his desk in Glen Ellyn, Ill. were troubling for the shop
driven in large part by retir- Associated Press manager. Sargent provid-
ing baby boomer owners. ed training and tried to talk
One big problem can be change on them at the last of ownership instead of, says. He considers an ac- to the man, but couldn't
a culture clash — staffers minute. That will only anger 'You're going to be doing quisition a success if 70 per- get him to open up about
whose company is sold them and add to their anxi- this, and you're going to be cent to 75 percent of the his frustration.
may be uncomfortable ety and temptation to flee, doing that,'" he says. staff is still there 18 months "He always said he wasn't
with their new bosses and Astringer says. Still, Proctor warns owners later. going to leave," Sargent
how the business is now A new boss should ac- to expect some friction. John Ahlberg, whose says. But nearly three
being run. A new owner knowledge and validate "You also need to be real- technology support and months after Sargent ar-
may be more rigid about staffers' feelings, and not istic that there will be issues management company rived, "he called me and
schedules or more of a mi- try pep talks to ease anxi- and disputes and you must has made several acquisi- said, I can't do this any-
cromanager. Staffers who ety, says John Proctor, CEO deal with those with an tions in recent years, has more," Sargent recalls.
worked with just a handful of Ottawa, Ontario-based open and frank dialogue been able to retain about Sargent advises other own-
of people before might find Martello Technologies. with all involved," he says. a third of the staffers who ers to keep communicat-
themselves with dozens of The information and com- It can be more difficult to joined his firm, Chicago- ing, but be ready for peo-
co-workers, and miss the munications technology retain staffers in some in- based Waident Technol- ple to quit.
old camaraderie. company has made two dustries than others. David ogy Solutions. Those who "Not everyone will make it
Bosses should focus on the acquisitions in recent years, Crais, chief executive of left tended to be uncom- through the transition, so
quality of employees' work giving Proctor experience CMG Carelytics a health fortable with the culture at be proactive about looking
life, says Mike Astringer, with persuading reluctant technology development their new company; for ex- for replacements before a
owner of Human Capital staffers to stay. company that has done ample, they were used to person leaves," he says.q
Consultants, a human re- "People aren't praying several acquisitions, has
sources provider. Money, at the altar of Martello. It found software engineers
whether it's in the form or a doesn't work like that," he reluctant to be part of a
raise or a bonus, may not says. company that's growing by
work in the long run. Proctor's approach is to buying others.
"The new acquirer and the meet with staffers individu- "Many times, they're driven
seller need to really col- ally or in small groups, spell by wanting to be part of
laborate in the transition to out his ideas for the com- a building process," says
make sure the culture not pany's direction and ask Crais,
going to change, that the employees about the roles The more an owner can
reason people work there is they see themselves play- align a staffer's needs with
going to continue," he says. ing. He recommends listen- the company's culture, the
Critical to keeping staffers is ing rather than dictating. greater the chances of re-
not springing the ownership "You're giving them a sense taining employees, Crais