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Employee engagement is more than just a buzzword used in human resources trainings and articles.  More than just employee satisfaction, “employee engagement” refers to the level of an employee’s commitment and connection to a company. If you own a professional pet-sitting or dog-walking business that has employees, employee engagement can be directly related to the success—or failure—of your business.

You’ve worked hard to build a solid reputation for your service, and your staff sitters are a reflection of your company and its values. When your employees are truly invested in your company, your clients—and the community at large—will know it. Your staff will be happier…and your business will be more successful!

Remember that employees are people first. They will produce more, better, faster when they feel included, understood, personally valued, kept in the loop, enlightened, appreciated and adequately compensated (not always in dollars).

Keep these best practices in mind to promote employee engagement and ensure your business is a company—and you are a manager—that your employees want to work for!

#1 Lead by example.

As the leader of your company, it is your responsibility to set a positive example for your staff. Your passion for your business—and your commitment to client satisfaction and pet safety—will trickle down to your employees. The impression you make on your staff sitters starts during the recruitment process, so make sure you are reflect­ing the professional image that you expect from staff sitters during your interactions with applicants, staff and the general public.

This can include sharing information about your PSI membership and explaining why your business is insured and bonded or why you chose to earn the Certified Professional Pet Sitter-CPPS^® designation. You may also want to share copies of PSI’s Code of Conduct and Ethics and PSI’s Recommended Quality Standards. Sharing this type of information with staff reinforces your company’s commitment to professionalism in the industry and reiterates your expectations for staff sitters.

Because you want your staff sitters’ interactions with your current and prospective clients to always be courteous, make sure you model courteous communication—both when talking with pet owners in front of staff and in your interactions with staff sitters themselves.

Keep in mind that managing staff is not always second nature. Even very successful pet-sitting business owners have found that while they excel in business acumen, they may be lacking in managerial skills. Seek out resourc­es and training that will help you improve and fine tune your managerial and communication styles to better lead your employees and your company.

#2 Include your employees.

Yes, this is YOUR company, but your employees are vital to its success. When employees feel that they are vic­tims of decisions rather than participants in decisions, they tend to care less. Passionate employees want and need to be in the loop, especially employees who directly interact with clients. So, make sure your employees are aware of any changes to your company’s policies or procedures before clients are notified.

Schedule staff meetings before changes occur—and make sure your employees are always up to date on any changes to policy, new pricing schedules, any events the company plans to participate in, etc., prior to making this information available to your clients and the public. For situations when staff meetings may not be possible, use email or a phone call to notify staff of any important updates.

Your communications to employees don’t always have to be about rules, policies and changes either. Celebrate company or personal milestones, or share positive feedback from clients. Just be sure that you do not share anything by email that would be damaging to the busi­ness if it were accidentally passed along. Sensitive and confidential information is best disseminated in staff meet­ings or conference calls.

#3 Focus on wellness.

As a professional pet sitter yourself, you understand how demanding this profession can be—and what an emo­tional and physical toll the work can take on a pet sitter. As an employer, you have an ethical obligation to look out for your employees and ensure they understand how important self-care is to those in this industry. First, educate yourself about burnout and compassion fatigue and the impact on our industry. Then, make sure your employees are armed with this information as well. PSI offers a variety of resources on this topic, including posts on The PSI Blog (search: “burnout” or “compassion fatigue”), articles in Pet Sitter’s World magazine and an on-demand webi­nar available in the Members area of petsit.com.

Ensure that your employees’ work schedules allow for time off—whether that’s an occasional day during the week or a free weekend every couple of months. Encourage employees to reach out to you about any issues that may be bothering them—whether it’s the behavior of a client or the passing of a pet they’ve cared for.

PSI member Kim Tank, who started Apronstrings Pet Sitting in 1990 and uses employees, offers this advice:

“I think one of the key factors is that [my employees] have schedules that are predictable and work with their life­styles. They have set days they work with regular days off. I am very accommodating when they need time off and we try to keep enough staff, so that if they are sick we aren’t begging them to stick it out and come to work. I try to give regular praise and appreciation for a job well done—and bonuses when I can—but I think the primary reason I have good retention is because they love their jobs on a day-to-day basis.”

There are also many other ways to be an advocate for employee well-being and balance. Have get-togethers that include their family members. Encourage exercise and stress management by providing an annual employment wellness reimbursement (such as up to $100 reimbursed each year when they submit receipts for health and well­ness activities, such as gym membership or a massage appointment).

Also, watch for signs that employees are overwhelmed and work closely with them to offer the support that is needed. Consider sharing PSI’s on-demand webinar (or a similar resource about compassion fatigue and burn­out) with new staff sitters so that they are aware of potential issues.

#4 Provide learning opportunities.

Personal growth is important for every employee. Providing continuous learning opportunities keeps employees engaged and promotes self-confidence. No one wishes to be disadvantaged by a lack of knowledge about the work they perform or how to get along well in the work world.

Personal growth through learning is not just about how to hold a leash or muzzle a dog; it’s also about life skills like appropriate etiquette and speaking with confidence. Talk to your employees about what they want to learn. Personal development goals for employees should be discussed at least annually so you can factor training into your budget and timeline. Try to incorporate an employee’s interests into the year’s training plans. All professional growth is a benefit to your business.

There are many free or inexpensive options available through PSI, online webinars, books, CDs and consulting firms. Follow organizations, such as PSI, that offer continuing education on Facebook or other social-media plat­forms to stay up to date on the latest offerings—and pass them along to your employees. Many PSI members have purchased PETSIT PRO subscriptions for staff sitters to offer the opportunity for easy-to-access continuing education, and others have paid for staff attendance at PSI’s conference or local pet-related conferences and trainings. Of course, as a small-business owner you likely stick to a tight budget, so don’t feel you have to pay for every staff training opportunity you find.

A good idea is to set a specific per-employee budget for staff training each year. For example, you may let staff know that you budget for $150 per staff member for training each year, and encourage them to make you aware of opportunities they may be interested in. Then, you can review each option to determine what will be the best fit for your staff and your company—and stay within a pre-set budget.

What are other ways you keep your staff sitters engaged and motivated? Comment below.