By Terry Begue – PPC Professional Painting Contractors Magazine, Spring 2025
Original Article: https://swppc.com/2025/04/21/the-secret-to-happy-employees/
FACILITATED DISCUSSION BY ALYSIA KEHOE, KEHOE CONSULTANTS | Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Why do good employees quit even at companies that offer good pay, growth, and a positive culture? In this article, Ohio painting contractor Terry Begue shares a hard-earned lesson when half his crew quit without warning. Alysia Kehoe, leadership coach and strategist, unpacks the warning signs most managers miss and offers actionable strategies to help you keep your best people.
Most painting business owners start out small – many times, a one-person show until they get more established. I was no different. Gradually, I (Terry Begue, author) hired four painters and eventually we were painting 100 to 150 residential exteriors each Ohio summer – about eight months of the year. We were turning jobs over so quickly, most of my time was spent scheduling the work. During the winter months I wrote articles to help other painters. Articles like this one, and eventually a book entitled Attract & Keep Customers for Life. I chose that title because I learned business success boiled down to knowing how to attract and keep customers. When my schedule was filled months in advance with customers willing to pay a premium price, life was good and I felt unstoppable! That is until half my crew quit me with no notice… I (Terry) was devastated!
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia #1 – Warning Signs: Why Good Employees Quit
It doesn’t matter what industry or current success of the organization, there are the warning signs given by employees which we tend to ignore.
Which of these have you seen from your team or staff?
5 Warning Signs Commonly Ignored:
- Displays of boredom, little or no engagement.
- Lack of communication, disconnected with coworkers or supervisors
- Late or absent from work
- Drop in production or quality
- Increased complaining appears stressed.
A hard lesson to learn
I was so fixated on my customers, I never stopped to think about my employees. That was in 2018 and was a hard lesson learned, but things got worse. Not long after, the pandemic happened, causing hiring and employee retention in most all industries to look more like the wild, wild west.
Increased wages and better hours were not working either, and I wasn’t alone. It seemed like all the businesses where I live were experiencing the same problem… all but one. Hartville Hardware, the largest privately owned hardware store in the country, seemed unaffected. They did not have “Help Wanted” signs posted, their workers were happy and business seemed to go on as usual.
I’ve had the good fortune to get to know and paint for Howard and Wayne Miller, the owners of Hartville Hardware. I recently talked to Wayne about how they manage to keep their employees happy and thrive when so many other businesses are still struggling.
Good advice from people I trust
First of all, he told me, they look for the right personality to fit the job.
“We don’t try to fit a square peg into a round hole,” he says. “For example, if we see a person has strong interpersonal skills, we put them where they will deal with the customers. If they don’t, but still have a good work ethic, we put them in in the warehouse or shipping and receiving – someplace where they are more comfortable.”
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia #2 – Set Your Team Up for Success
Alysia uses the Elevations assessment which looks at individuals’ personal traits, values, competencies/skills, plus interests. It’s a great assessment to see the “whole person” and to place them in the right job within your organization. Alysia is a Certified Coach to help organizations and individuals debrief the results report of this assessment.
As for his secrets for keeping employees happy, he said: “We treat them like family, as much as possible. If they need and have a good reason to change their schedule or if they require time off, we accommodate if we can. We are closed on Sunday so we can all be with our families.
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia #3 – Why Do Good Employees Quit? The Crazy Cycle of Miscommunication + Disrespect
Understanding why good employees quit isn’t just about pay –– often it’s about feeling seen, heard, and respected. Another effective program that Kehoe Consultants offers organizations is “The Crazy Cycle in The Workplace.”
The Crazy Cycle shows leaders key communication techniques. At the core of the program, leaders learn that:
- Employees need personal care.
- Employers and leaders need respect.
Emerson Eggrich, PhD, creator of The Crazy Cycle in the Workplace, hones in on the transformative power of a workplace marked by two crucial qualities — personal care and respect. Without a healthy dose of both, a Crazy Cycle of disillusion begins. Because work plays a central role in life, it impacts the rest of our experiences. Applicable to employees and leadership alike, Emerson’s teachings demonstrate how attentive, caring management garners respect from its people and in return leads to a stronger outlook for organizations moving forward.
You can start slowing down the Crazy Cycle by mastering 3 techniques that directly impact your organization:
Decode. Demonstrate. Deposit.
- Leaders will learn how to give “Personal Care” to their team members/employees.
- Employees / team members will learn how to show respect to leaders; all through easy communication techniques.
Ask Alysia to facilitate The Crazy Cycle program for your team.
We also financially match donations our employees make, to an agreed upon nonprofit organization each year, up to $20,000. It’s a chance for all of us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, and has created a culture of giving, and a sense of community for everyone here.
Taking care of your people is taking care of your business
I could not help but think that here is a man who truly cares and respects his employees as much as his customers. Maybe it’s just that simple?
Unfortunately, many companies do not think of hiring as an investment. That can be a costly mistake. According to data provided by the Association for Talent Development, the average training cost per employee is $1,252.
So, what can you do to keep your employees happy and protect this investment you have made in your business? Here are some strategies that have worked for me.
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia #4 – Rethink Your Benefits
Exec Leaders / Owners … in addition to basic benefits (health care, tuition reimbursement, etc.)
- Make a list of benefits (large or small) you’d like to offer your employees? Research what each proposed benefit would cost per employee.
- Then ask employees about the list you created. What would be their top three benefits they would like and why?
- Invite feedback on which benefits employees would find most valuable and which they’d consider splitting (e.g. 50/50 cost share) with the company to help keep them sustainable.
1. Give them a raise
My customers understand my price increases when I tell them I charge more because I pay more to keep quality people who do a quality job.
2. Make them part of the discussion
Occasionally asking employees for their opinion on work-related matters helps them feel like they’re part of the team. Sometimes that’s all it takes to keep them engaged and feeling valued.
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia #5 – Stop Losing Good Employees: Elevate Engagement
Conduct an “Elevate You, for Organizations” workshop.
This 3-hour customized workshop includes an assessment, targeted training, and coaching solutions designed to elevate engagement at every level of your organization. Also a SWOT analysis and goal setting by the team with their leader.
For more details, visit Alysia’s website: kehoeconsultants.com/workshops-books.
3. Treat them with respect
“Please,” “thank you,” and even a sincere “how’s your family?” can go a long way when someone is having a bad day.
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia #6 – Why Good Employees Quit: What You Don’t See Matters Most
The Iceberg:
- People don’t just work … Think of work as an Iceberg above the water line.
- There are many hidden things “below the surface” of the iceberg: Family, Hobbies, Pet Care, Health, etc. that people are dealing with daily.
When you look at an individual’s job performance, think of Catalytic Coaching by Gary Markle, which offers a framework for transitioning to a coaching-based system.
Below are strategic approaches to consider as you make this shift:
- Rapidly Resolve Challenging Situations: Facilitate difficult conversations to ensure positive outcomes.
- Risk Mitigation and Legal Compliance: Implement best practices and protocols to safeguard your organization.
- Employee Retention & Productivity Enhancement: Boost retention and productivity by enhancing employee performance through coaching.
In a Catalytic Coaching program, organizations will learn to:
- Elevate Coaching Skills for Managers: Empower your managerial team with essential coaching competencies to drive employee development.
Plus, key actions to take for setting expectations with each employee:
- Collaboratively set and prioritize with employee: Schedule time to meet with each
- Align individual goals with what the team aims to achieve: Schedule and meet with team as a whole
- Consider workload and wellbeing: Check in with each employee weekly for updates on their workload/wellbeing
Programs like Elevations® and Catalytic Coaching help leaders prevent breakdowns and keep good employees from quitting. Ask Alysia to facilitate The Catalytic Coaching program for your team.
4. Have one-on-one time
In hindsight, I truly believe that if I had taken the time to sit down and listen to those employees who quit on me, they would still be with me today.
Big Hint / Idea from Alysia #7 – Good Employees Quit When Managers Stop Listening
The number one reason people leave their job, SHRM (Society of Human Resource Management) statistics show, is because ‘the manager does not take time to talk to the individual.’ The absence of meaningful conversation is the most common reason why good employees quit.
Retention and Listening
The data today is clear, don’t wait to thank your employees or to check in with them regularly. Without this, they will find another organization who will thank them.
Communicate a lot and connect frequently with team members. Most managers realize that communication matters.
According to Gallup, managers agree that they connect with team members on a daily or weekly basis. That’s surprisingly rare in most workplaces.
In contrast, Gallup finds that only 20% of U.S. employees strongly agree that they have had a conversation with their manager in the last six months about the steps they can take to reach their goals.
Continual improvement can only be achieved through honest conversation. More often than not, the cause is a system problem — and that means that other people and teams need to learn and change to truly fix the root problem.
However, these conversations don’t always have to be strictly about getting work done. Managers should ask questions that get employees to talk freely about themselves, sharing their desires and frustrations.
Bottom line
Your employees are your internal customers, and like your external customers (your clients) they need to see that you care about them the way you care about your clients.
It’s not just business, it’s personal too. Make time to get involved and show you care because everyone has an inherent need to feel respected and appreciated.
Terry Begue is the owner of Begue Painting, Inc. and author of Attract & Keep Customers for Life and Crushed It! How I Made $7.5 Million as a House Painter & How You Can Too. This article was originally published in the Spring 2025 issue of PPC/Pintor Pro magazine. ©2025 Fusable
⚠️ Losing Good Employees? Don’t Wait for a Wake-Up Call ⚠️
Here’s what we help small businesses do every day:
🔍 Spot the warning signs before people walk
📊 Use assessments like Elevations® to put the right people in the right roles
🛑 Break the Crazy Cycle of miscommunication and burnout
🧠 Replace outdated reviews with Catalytic Coaching that actually makes an impact
📈 Rebuild trust, performance, and engagement one conversation at a time
Interested in using proven strategies to build a stronger, more connected team? Alysia Kehoe and Kehoe Consultants specialize in customized workshops, leadership training, and strategic trust-building programs designed to meet your organization’s unique needs. Email Alysia at alysia@kehoeconsultants.com or book a time to connect below: