As part of our normal course of business, the MOBLZ staff talks constantly with property managers. Over the past 18 months one word that keeps popping up is burnout. It makes sense. We’ve gone through a worldwide pandemic that has shut down operations at many commercial properties and staffing issues mean that many property managers are having to do more work, with less resources in an ever-changing, and unpredictable environment. It’s stressful handling all of that! So, what are some ways to help keep a good staff and keep them engaged?

Invest In Technology
First of all, a shameless plug. 
Products like MOBLZ are designed to help control the chaos of food trucks, mobile vendors, and other mobile amenities . Other things that are sometimes taken for granted but are still missed, are core technologies like Office 365, a CRM, and property management apps.  are missed. Providing your staff with the tools they need helps keep them organized, boosts their efficiency, all of which help decrease stress levels.

Reward and Appreciate
Everyone loves to be recognized and to feel appreciated for the work they do. Let’s face it, being a property manager is NOT an easy job. Many of us are on the front lines dealing with mundane issues, handling complaints, trying to find the perfect tenant for a location, and generally trying to keep everyone happy.  A simple thank-you goes a long way, but even better would be to put some appreciation events, like a food truck rodeo, on the calendar and provide folks with a delicious lunch.

Train and Educate
Regular, continuous education is a key to growing a strong and knowledgeable staff. As the saying goes, knowledge is power. People who feel confident in their abilities and understand what they are trying to achieve are much less likely to suffer the effects of burnout. No one wants to suffer through a day of trying to figure things out. Our suggestion is to offer some short (15 - 30 minute) training sessions for your core tech and your company’s processes. An example class might be "How to best use Outlook to manage your day" or “How to set up an out of office email”.  You can’t assume that your employees know how to do things. What may be second nature to you could be a foreign concept to someone who’s never performed a certain task. Millennials may be experts at posting social media content but B2B efforts to promote your property may be lacking.

Create a Mentorship Program
As part of your on-boarding process, have someone “adopt” your new employee. Do not just start throwing work at them. The newest person will likely already feel slightly unsure of themselves, so just piling on work with no instructions or directions is not helpful. Having someone they can turn to for questions will make them grateful and more likely to grow to fit your organization.