EMPLOYEE EMPOWERMENT

JERRY MOLIQUE

One of the most challenging tasks that we in the property management industry face today is striving to keep our employees productive, motivated, and above all, happy. After all, if the employees in the company are not happy, the company as a whole will suffer.

With this idea in mind, our cover story takes an in-depth look at the enormously successful track record of the Southern Management Corporation of Vienna, Virginia.

With just a 27 percent annual employee turnover rate, compared with the 60 percent industry norm, it's clear that the Southern Management Corporation is doing something right. Year after year, their employees keep coming back for more.

Our cover story takes a close look at how the entire structure of Southern Management quickly evolved - from a typical hierarchical pyramid style with layers of managers on top of managers - to a much more efficient circular form of management.

Practically overnight, workers in the company adopted a new team feeling about the organization and came to view themselves not simply as employees, but rather, team members.

For instance, you'll learn that by offering their employees continuing education courses, profit sharing, and more in-depth training programs, the Southern Management Corporation has found its employees to be among the most loyal and devoted in the business.

Employee empowerment drastically changed the culture of Southern Management and today the company boasts a stabilized 97 percent economic occupancy rate.

Without a doubt, the methods and strategies used by Southern Management to ensure a more dedicated staff will serve as invaluable lessons to you.

So, with all this said and done, let me say congratulations to all of you at Southern Management Corporation. We wish you continued success and hope you keep up the good work!

THE IMPORTANCE OF SCREENING

You'll also find that on page 34, we switch gears and go from the rather uplifting topic of employee empowerment to the pressing issue of negligent hiring liability.

Few industries today have the same type of employee hiring responsibilities as the multifamily housing industry, and just recently, the seriousness of the responsibility reached new proportions.

In Massachusetts, for example, the family of a murder victim was awarded $26.5 million by a jury in a negligent hiring case. This is the largest judgment ever awarded for this type of litigation.

Therefore, in order to protect ourselves against negligent hiring liability, we must understand the seriousness of the threat, understand the resources available to minimize its risk, and develop an applicant screening process that carefully weeds out potentially dangerous employees.

Because each criminal background check is limited to a specific geographic area, employees should develop a strategy for increasing the likelihood of discovering any possible criminal background by using a variety of resources and checks.

Our 'At the Forefront' topic is also employee-related and discusses the best ways to attract and keep quality help.

There is a key set of laws, for instance, which employers must obey during the hiring and firing phases, and it is crucial that we be aware of what these laws are.

The article also offers some helpful information on the best ways to approach recruiting. Using employee referrals, for instance, has proven to be very successful. Hiring actual friends of employees has not.

It is my sincere hope that after reading this issue of Units, we leave you with important facts and sound advice regarding your valued staff of employees. After all, we couldn't get along without them!

Molique, NAA's 1998 president, is a regional vice president with the Regency Windsor Companies, based in Veto Beach, Florida.