How to Improve Employee Retention with GPS Fleet Tracking

No matter which industry you’re in, if you’re a business owner, there’s a good chance you’re dealing with high staff turnover.

Great employees are always hard to find. But during a labor shortage, historic inflation, and supply chain issues, it may seem like that difficulty level has been updated to impossible.

You’re not alone. Companies across many industries—HVAC, agriculture, roofing, plumbing, pest control, and more—face similar issues.

Why? There are a few common reasons for high employee turnover, including: 

• Heightened employee workloads during a labor shortage
• A strained and drained company culture
• A lack of flexibility or benefits associated with their schedule or workplace environment
• Poor or nonexistent professional development or ongoing education opportunities 
• Poor or nonexistent risk and safety reporting, leading to dangerous assignments and working environments 

And, of course, low wages.

Several of these issues are happening because of the labor shortage, making employee retention a circular problem. Many companies are opting to hire more people over and over, hoping this will solve their issues. 

However, staffing up to handle retention is only part of the problem.

The mission before you is to figure out a way to retain your best workers during this labor shortage (and beyond!)—especially when your competitors likely have their eyes on your best team members. 

Why should business owners learn how to improve employee retention? 

First, let’s check in on the true costs associated with high staff turnover, especially with truck fleet management.

Your company’s financial losses are significantly higher than the time spent looking for and interviewing new employees—or even the opportunities you lose while understaffed. Over time, losing just one employee can cost a company anywhere from 1.5-2 times their salary, according to frequently cited research.

That’s without even touching on the hidden costs of turnover, which can be significant.

When your company consistently loses employees, that tarnishes your company’s brand, reputation, and ability to build relationships with clients. Turnover kills employee morale, and your ability to provide training and professional development across your team may be nonexistent.

It’s time to figure out a solution for high employee turnover.

But, if it isn’t just to hire more people and hope for the best, what is it? 

It’s time to invest in increased employee retention. But how? 

If hiring more people isn’t the answer, the solution to solving staff turnover has to be figuring out how to keep the people you currently have.

Here’s the thing: With increased data on employee and technician performance from GPS fleet tracking, you can take practical steps to affect three factors impacting employee retention.

Here’s how: 

1. GPS tracking can help you provide more competitive wages.

Think about it: Regardless of how many stops the drivers of your fleet trucks make, you’re paying them for eight hours of work per day. 

When you use GPS fleet tracking to optimize their routes, you’ll likely be able to squeeze a few more stops into your drivers’ schedules.

This can help you grow your profit margins, making it affordable for you to pay your employees more—and, therefore, more attractive for your drivers to stay with you. 

2. GPS tracking can boost your company’s culture.

There’s a widely spread misconception that GPS fleet tracking contributes to an untrusting atmosphere. 

It can.

But, if you use GPS fleet tracking data to recognize good driver behavior, stand up for your employees when customers question proof of service, and protect your drivers against fraudulent accident charges, it becomes clear that your company’s culture isn’t untrusting. Instead, it’s protective and rewarding.

Wondering just how you’re going to leverage a GPS tracker to truly benefit your entire team? Here’s a practical guide to maximizing a field service business. Download it here!

3. GPS tracking supports heightened driver safety and reduces risk. 

More safety is always a good thing, right?

Having a clear, provable safety record with GPS fleet tracking data can help you improve your insurance premiums, implement heightened safety measures as necessary, and improve employee retention in one fell swoop.

More than that, driver behavior reports available in your GPS fleet tracking system keep you on top of vehicle maintenance reports. This helps ensure that your fleet vehicles keep your drivers as safe as possible on the road.

Between boosts in company culture, heightened safety, and more competitive wages, it’s clear that GPS fleet tracking can be the answer if you’re wondering how to improve employee retention. 

Interested in learning more? ClearPathGPS is here to help! Call a friendly member of our team to get started today.