National Clothesline

We were distressed to read that at a recent annual convention of a Midwest trade association the recorded attendance by non-board members of the group totaled exactly two. Unfortunately, this is too typical of the level of support and participation that our trade associations receive. One wonders why people who dedicate so much of their time and money to a business seem to have so little interest in the overall welfare of the industry of which their business is a part.

In the day-to-day battle to gain an upper hand over the competition, perhaps there is a tendency to think that one’s individual survival is the only thing that matters. This is short-sighted and ultimately could prove fatal. If the industry as a whole does not prosper, there is little chance for the individuals within it to succeed. How did the last buggy whip manufacturer in America feel when he finally achieved 100-percent market share?

At some point, schemes for seizing a bigger slice of the pie need to take a back seat to efforts to make the pie bigger for everybody. This requires cooperation among cleaners working together to make the industry stronger. How can we work more professionally and efficiently? How can we improve our public image? How can we integrate new technologies? How can we expand the products and services we offer and make them “must-haves” to the consuming public?

Trade associations provide a structure for doing that work, but they have been weakened by declining support and lack of participation from the industry’s rank and file. This forces the associations to dedicate resources to shoring up membership and takes away from their pursuit of other important programs. And membership means more than dues revenues. Each member brings to the table a different set of experiences and ideas. But don’t expect much to come of it if a table for two can accommodate that meeting.

Sometimes, it seems impossible to find reliable information. For example, if you want to find statistics on how many people lie on their resume, you may have better luck consulting a Magic 8-Ball than the Internet. Anyone researching the topic will learn that employment specialists believe anywhere from 25 to 80 percent of job resumes contain at least some disingenuous information. That’s quite a gap, to be sure, but most “experts” believe that over half of all job seekers aren’t afraid to bend, stretch or obliterate the truth if it gets in the way of a job opportunity.

The truth is, people tend to rationalize that it is perfectly all right to “embellish” their qualifications and skills in order to get a leg up on the competition. Of course, if everybody does tends to do this, then prospective employees do not really gain an advantage over one another. Instead, it is the employers who are saddled with a big disadvantage. After all, how do you figure out which employees will be honest, and which will pose major problems down the road?

As guest columnist James Bassett point out in his article (on page 16) “How to hire honest employees”: “Whether you’re a large drycleaning company with many employees, or a small neighborhood store with just a few, applicant screening is critical to hiring the best employees.”

According to Bassett, there are two basic screening sources of information on job applicants: the applicant and outside sources. With the right nudging, many applicants will be a lot more open and honest during an interview. Then, employers can turn to criminal record checks, credit reports, drug testing and references to fill in the blanks. While no hiring system is fool-proof, Bassett gives several tips that will help minimize the lies. Of course, even if you are confident that you have hired a hard-working, honest employee, there are other problems to consider. Is he/she the right employee in terms of personality and fit for your company? Will he/she follow all the rules? Frank Kollman offers some advice on the topic on page 30.

Lastly, there is one more thing to contemplate. You may have the best employees in the world, but are you willing to delegate enough responsibility to them in order to keep the company running profitably and smoothly? Al Robson believes delegating is a learned skill that many plant owners and managers struggle to acquire. To learn more about it, go to page 12.

Maybe there really is some reliable information out there. You just have to know where to look.