1. Peer Bulletin
February 2, 2016 19
How often do we hear that our number one
asset are our employees? This often bandied
about term has become so prevalent in
industry that we are hard pressed to bring
meaning to the term “number one asset.”
Is our number one asset more important than
our number two asset; and how do we measure
worth? On paper our buildings and land may
be our most expensive asset; however, we can
easily fall into the trap of measuring worth
only by dollar value on our balance sheet.
Our most expensive asset, a building for
example, seems to heavily outweigh our
employee’s worth.
When we look at our payrolls we can see how
much our employees actually cost, and
although our payroll may account for a large
percentage of our expenses, it may be hard to
look at a new and young worker and see them
in the same light as our capital acquisitions. It
is much more problematic to measure the cost
and depreciation of our staff.
I was recently at an auction. A high-end
cabinet shop was on the blocks. Everything was
up for sale from hardwood to dust collectors. I
inquired to the auctioneer as to why the sale?
Apparently the shop had lost its designer and
visionary. The loss of this one key employee
had slowly eroded the company’s standing.
Even though the company was equipped with
all the latest equipment and staff to run them
the business had still failed. With no succession
planning and no thought on how to mentor the
new and young workers the shop was totally
dependent on just one key employee. Without
someone stepping up to take the helm the boat
had sunk.
On paper it may not seem to be that any one
employee could be as valuable as that shiny
capital acquisition. However, collectively
without the trained staff working to keep it
running, the acquisition becomes nothing more
than a glorified dust collector. Without a skilled
worker the equipment sits idle and useless—not
producing. Retaining workers whom we have
invested both time and money becomes vital to
long-term success.
We constantly upgrade our equipment. We
maintain our assets and work to improve their
operation. Take a vehicle for example. How
much money and time do we spend keeping
them running? Oil changes, tires and regular
maintenance quickly add up compounding the
costs—often without taking into account the
staff time needed to schedule and organize the
work. We can quickly look at our spreadsheets
and measure cost and depreciation on
equipment, but employee investment can be
harder to measure. We tend to ignore any staff
maintenance until our employees leave or
other “personal issues” arise.
Attending to Long-Term Success
The Number One Asset:
Retaining New and
Young Workers
David Rossi

2. Peer Bulletin
February 2, 2016 20
It is easy to look at our HR records and see the
training or courses taken but much harder to
compute ROI on personal development and
growth.
Mentoring programs are often looked at as
unwieldy and hard to manage. Many
businesses view programs as something only
the larger organizations implement. The word
“program” can invoke fear in even the most
progressive business owner. Yet, it may be as
simple as a dedicated commitment and a
concentrated effort on the part of the senior
team to change the culture of the workforce.
Actively looking to provide the care and
“maintenance” to help the team grow and
prosper will drive profits and increase company
worth in the long term. A mentoring focus
benefits both the mentors and the mentees.
Pride and a feeling of belonging to a company
that “cares” pay dividends both in retention
and production.
Some Tips of Effective Mentoring
Define your purpose: Be clear about what you
hope to achieve through mentoring. Plan for
retention and engagement.
Include your number one asset in the
conversations—transparency is vital.
Plan to create and maintain a workplace
culture in which everyone feels like they
belong. Consult with all stakeholders.
Redefine your mission statement. Is it clear
or does it include vague and ambiguous
wording? Is management consistent with
the vision?
Allow the mentoring process to be organic
—one that can change with the needs of
the industry and the company.
Access the experts, information and
guidance that is available to develop
alternative points of view and build
capacity.
Recognize that positive models will provide
the greatest influence within the workplace.
Invest in the development of mentors and
supervisors as positive models. We send our
mechanics for the latest training, but how
much time and effort do we spend on the
mentors and supervisors that influence our
staff?
Constantly look for ways to improve the
workplace. Are you providing the young
workers with the new version of
management—the updated copy, the one
that will engage, stimulate and retain them?
Invest in employees and focus on their
continuous learning and growth. This will
create a new workplace—a progressive and
dynamic workplace.
Retain New and Young Workers…(continued)
“Mentoring is an important part of a successful skill
building program. As a management tool, it is one of the
most effective ways to transfer organizational knowledge
as well as job-specific skills. Unlike more traditional
supervisory management, mentoring creates a climate of
support, guidance, and teaching that boosts employee
engagement and productivity.”
~ Nicolas Wyman ~
CEO Institute for Workplace Skills and Innovation
Biography.....Twitter

3. Peer Bulletin
February 2, 2016 21
If we really believe that our staff is our
number one asset then we need to treat them
like they are valuable—like that shiny capital
investment.
The time we invest and the care we show will
help our staff be all that they can be and will
end up benefiting all. With a focus on
mentoring and retention the company will
continue to realize growth and prosperity both
now and into the future.
About the Author
David Rossi provides training, consulting, and
mentoring through the CommonSenseCentre
in Vernon, British Columbia. He specializes in
working with youth and is dedicated to
educating others to realize
their full potential through
promoting common sense and
critical thinking.
David has worked in all the
major British Columbia
industries, and hired,
mentored and trained
hundreds of staff. He has
taught and presented worldwide, built and
sailed a boat across the Pacific with his
children, developed adventure outdoor
programs for people with disabilities, climbed
mountains, taught skiing internationally and
cycled extensively.
David is also the author of a book about youth
mentoring, common sense, and critical
thinking called, “Have You Ever Ben to
Sea?”(Available here.)
Retain New and Young Workers…(continued)
“I have a theory that you can make any sentence seem
profound by writing the name of a dead philosopher
at the end of it. -Plato.”
~ Steve Carell ~
American actor, comedian, and writer
Mentored by Alan Arkin
Biography....Twitter
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