There was a time when the surest way to keep a good employee was to pay him more money than the guy down the street. But it’s 2026, and the business world does not necessarily work that way anymore — not shown with multiple generations of people in the workforce who are motivated by different things.
By their very nature, flooring retailers are small businesses who count heavily on each and every employee, no matter the role. The good ones are invaluable to an organization, and dealers do what they have to do to keep them happy.
FCNews asked seven successful dealers how they do it:
“We’ve always placed a high value on our people. As a family business, we consider Hadinger our work family, and that mindset shapes how we treat our team. We have many tenured employees who have been with us for years.”
— Susan Hadinger
Hadinger Company of Naples, Naples, Fla.
“We invest heavily in providing meaningful training across teams. We hold bi-weekly meetings for any employee who wants to participate to increase our level of communication across teams.”
— Joel Schreier
Home Carpet One, Chicago
“I have had my store for 40 years and things have definitely changed in regard to employees. I believe in the statement, ‘Treat your employees like you would want to be treated.’ Sixty percent of my employees have been with me over 20 years.”
— Janice Clifton
Abbey Carpet Unlimited, Napa, Calif.
“It is crucial that your staff and team feel valued and listened to. Each year I have one-on-one meetings with every member of our staff so they can share what is working and what is not working and how our leadership can help.”
— Deb DeGraaf
DeGraaf Interiors, Grand Rapids, Mich.
“Culture, compensation and opportunity for advancement within the company are main factors/contributors to our employee retention. We have a family-based culture and promote the work hard/play hard message.”
— Eric Langan
Carpetland USA (The Langan Group), Davenport, Iowa
“It’s important to engage your Sales team in making decisions in regard to products we stock. It makes them feel part of the team. Celebrate their successes, listen to their ideas and reward them when you meet goals.”
— Penny Carnino
Grigsby’s Carpet Tile & Hardwood, Tulsa, Okla.
“No. 1, aim to understand and support individual goals/motivations; 2) Be transparent and candid; 3) Genuinely care about who they are as people. People want to be part of a successful organization they can be proud of.”
— Adam Joss
The Vertical Connection Carpet One Floor & Home, Columbia, Md.
