Strategies to Retain Your Best Self-Storage Employees

If you’re a self-storage owner, unless you outsource your human resources or work with a third-party management firm, you have to worry about finding and hiring quality staff for your facilities. Then, once you have a team in place, you have to figure out how to keep them motivated and productive. This can be more challenging than it seems.

I review many self-storage manager resumes every week, and over the past several years, I’ve noticed a concerning pattern of excessive job-hopping. Some new hires stay at a company for as little as six or seven months, but many are changing jobs every 12 to 14 months. Why all this movement? Are facility staff not being trained properly? Are they dissatisfied with the supervision they receive or company policies? Do they not feel empowered to do their jobs well? Are they looking for more money or better benefits?

Not too long ago, you could expect a facility manager to stay in their position for several years, but such loyalty seems rare today. What can you do as a self-storage employer to reverse this trend of workers jumping from one company to another and ensure better long-term performance for your properties? Following are some strategies to help you motivate and retain your best team members.

Set a Positive Foundation

Self-storage employee retention begins during the hiring and onboarding process, and it requires a few key factors:

Transparent communication
Professional training that clearly explains all job duties and responsibilities
A well-written and regularly updated policies and procedures manual
Consistent dialogue with direct supervisors

Never assume that because a new hire has years of self-storage experience that they understand how your organization operates. Ask them directly if they comprehend your expectations and offer help when needed. Are they struggling with responsibilities or specific policies? Do they have unanswered questions?

Once they’ve been with you for a while, ask them about their experience. Do they enjoy working for the company and with their colleagues? What suggestions do they have for improving operations? What do they appreciate or dislike about the job?

Only by asking these questions can you discover solutions to motivate your team members, keep them involved and ensure they’re committed. Keep in mind that many new self-storage facilities have opened over the past decade, and experienced staff can easily find other opportunities if they feel undervalued or inadequately compensated for their contributions.

Invest in Professional Development

Many self-storage companies make the mistake of failing to invest in ongoing professional development for their staff. Too often, supervisors operate in crisis mode, rushing from one emergency to another. Once they fill a position, they immediately pivot to the next challenge. This reactive approach undermines long-term success.

When you take time to evaluate team members’ strengths and weaknesses, you can assign responsibilities that maximize their effectiveness and improve the business overall. If you don’t inquire about your employees’ professional goals, you can’t facilitate their growth or advance your company’s development.

It’s important to be aware of and leverage the expertise and talents your self-storage staff brings to the table. This reduces time and resources spent on recruiting, hiring and training new personnel. The formula is simple: Ask your team about their career aspirations within your organization and genuinely listen to their responses!

Keep Current on Compensation

It’ll come as no surprise that providing competitive compensation and well-earned pay increases significantly contributes significantly to staff contentment and productivity, whether in self-storage or any other business. Conducting regular performance evaluations will help you determine whether an employee deserves a raise or requires additional training to succeed.

If you’re uncertain about current industry wages, consult employment websites like Indeed or ZipRecruiter. They can provide average salary information for self-storage managers in your region.

There are many reasons why it’s important to keep current in your compensation package, but one of the most obvious is to avoid employee theft. When workers feel undervalued or inadequately compensated, particularly in a business that regularly accepts cash payments, temptation can rear its ugly head. You don’t ever want to put your self-storage team in that position. Pay them fairly and even generously, and not only will you prevent dishonesty, you’ll reap satisfaction and loyalty, which are infinitely valuable.

Prevent Potential Departures

What should you do when you suspect a valuable self-storage employee might be job hunting? I can’t overstate the importance of transparent communication! Go to them and ask why they might be considering a departure and what you can do to keep them. You might say, “You’re an exceptional employee. What would convince you to stay with us?”

You can’t address concerns you don’t understand, and you won’t gain insight unless you meet with the person, perhaps during lunch when they’re relaxed and more likely to speak candidly. Is compensation the issue? Do they need better communication with their supervisor? Are health problems or family challenges influencing their decision? Are they seeking advancement within your organization or planning to relocate to an area where you lack self-storage locations? Sometimes, there’s little you can do beyond providing a stellar recommendation and expressing gratitude for their contributions to your facility’s success.

Keep the Team Together

Remember, your onsite self-storage employees are the face of your facility and the backbone of your operation. Their happiness at work impacts their performance, which directly impacts your profitability. So, treat them with respect and provide the necessary tools for their success. Ask what inspires them to perform well, recognizing that what motivates you or another staff member might not drive everyone.

Increased compensation isn’t always the reason why an employee looks elsewhere. More commonly, they feel they lack authority to manage the self-storage facility effectively or sense their contributions go unnoticed. It costs nothing to say, “Great job, keep it up.”

To retain an excellent self-storage team, offer them fair wages, design achievable incentive programs and maintain regular dialogue with your staff. Effective communication serves as the foundation for organizational growth and profitability. When you prioritize these elements, everyone benefits—you, your employees and your facility.

Pamela Alton is the owner of Mini-Management Services, which has been placing self-storage managers in positions at facilities nationwide since 1991. She also offers facility audits, inspections, operational consulting and staff training. For more information, call 321.890.2245 or email [email protected].

About the Author

Pamela Alton

Owner, Mini-Management Services

Pamela Alton is the owner of Mini-Management Services, a company that has been placing self-storage managers in positions all over the United States since 1991. She also offers staff training, operational consulting, and facility audits and inspections. For more information, call 321.890.2245; e-mail [email protected]; visit www.mini-management.com.

See more from Pamela Alton

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