Increasing Employee Retention with Birth Order

Incorporating an understanding of family constellation into your management training may prove invaluable. With decreased employee retention and increasing turnover rates within the quick-service restaurant industry, one may never think having an understanding of birth order may help in resolving this issue. However, they are missing out on an invaluable hiring and management strategy.

Birth Order and Work Style

An individual’s birth position in their family plays an active part at work. As Michael Grossman, the leading authority on birth order and its affects on personality claims, “birth order relates both to your working style (i.e. how you work and what motivates you) and also your relational style (i.e. how you relate to people).” I tend to agree; and the reason is simple. The way we learn how to relate and work with others stems from how we are raised. In fact, if you’ve ever taken a psychology class, you’ll learn that an individual’s personality is formed between one to four years of age.

But that personality is influenced by variables such as temperament, gender and other family circumstances. A past survey was conducted to measure the success of business managers versus birth order of nearly eight hundred executives. “First born” and “only children” were the most highly represented among successful executives.

Family Constellations and Behavior

In the psychology book by Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs called Children: the challenge, the position of the individual within the family constellation, will have, to some extent, an influence upon the patterns of the whole family and the personality of the other sibling. In the interchange of responses and influences with each other, different personalities emerge. As these constellations evolve, each child finds his place in his own distinct way. Each person within their family constellation behaves according to the way they see their position in their family.

Firstborn born children have controversially been known in many cases to be more conscientious, ambitious, academically oriented, conforming, conservative, and inclined toward leadership than their later-born siblings.
Each person within their family constellation behaves according to the way they see their position in their family. Fortunately or unfortunately, this behavior also carries over into their professional life.

Conversely, children born later in the birth order tend to be more unconventional, flexible, and rebellious. Children with no siblings being firstborn themselves tend to exhibit traits more similar to those of other firstborn children. However, children with no siblings seem to have better self esteem and are higher achievers than children who have siblings.

Birth Order Classifications and Effective Management Practices

So, the question looms, how would understanding birth order help in effectively managing your employee? Below is a short birth order classification guide. Although the psychology of birth order is very complex, here’s a convenient list to help tap into each individual’s birth order strength and comfort areas.

Firstborn children

First children are often practical, confident, able to delegate and make rapid decisions and possess the desire to win or excel. Often, firstborns simply want to be the best they can be. This can translate into exceptional management skills and a rapid career path. Also, firstborns often work well with older individuals in the firm, including supervisors and executives. Many times, in order for firstborns to be comfortable in work situations, they must feel in control of their situation. By understanding this and tapping into it, an effective way to help them be productive is to let them be in control and lead.

Middle-born children

Middle-born children are good at working with others and definite team players. They make great researchers, sales professionals, and are typically great with people by asking “why.” So, “why” would they be good for your organization? Because of their position among siblings, they often learn to be excellent at conflict resolution, handling complaints, coordinating tasks, and being a peacemaker on a team which are all good management traits.

Last-born children

The creativity and teamwork abilities of last-born children can make them productive and successful managers. They can be excellent working in your drive through, being on the phone, working behind the cash register, in a customer service role answering questions on the phone, and successful in a sales function. Last borns typically have empathy for others and can use this innate talent to pull a team together. When they commit to a career path, youngest children know how to use every trick in the book to get ahead. This is no doubt a positive trait most QSR leaders need.
The only child

Always the perfectionist, only children make conscientious leaders, cooks, janitors, and great managers. They usually are highly self-motivated, independent, and will find the way to get things done. Their independent and sometimes internally stubborn nature can be an asset for your restaurant.

Birth Order, Organizational leadership, and attracting and retaining QSR employees

After doing a lot of research on this topic, I was surprised to learn very few studies have examined birth order effects in an organizational setting. As for the quick-service restaurant industry, not one study even exists. What I did gather is that first born and only children tend to advance in many cases faster than the other birth order classifications. Also, first borns tend to stay at middle management positions longer because first borns have been known to lack the creativity to advance to top-level positions.

Defining Organizational Leadership

So, now that we know more about birth order and effective strategies and management techniques, what really is an organizational leader defined as? In my opinion, organizational leadership occurs when the employee’s interests are broadened and elevated due to effective management for a company. Whether it’s a quick-service restaurant chain, or a small non-profit organization, organizational leaders need to understand how to successfully empower others. They have a clear understanding of the importance of the company’s vision and know how to effectively communicate it. By acting as role models, they’ll inspire employees to put the good of the entire organization above their own self interest.

Organizations should not only manage their employees by taking into account their family constellation, but they also need to develop them by understanding them on a personal level. By putting this into practice, they will make everyone feel valued and part of a team which in turn will retain your employees.

Organizational leadership is a more developmental and constructive form of management for both the individual employees and the organization as a whole. Strong leaders have higher retention rates than do weaker leaders. Basically, managers have two roles which are to manage and lead. They are required to ensure food is prepared, purchased, served, and employees are trained, properly scheduled, paid, and competent.

However, managers also need to be determined to effectively inspire, motivate and be role models to their employees. Unfortunately, determination is not something that can be learned just like birth order.

Robert Feeney is a Sales Manager with Gage Marketing and an Organizational Change Management Thought Leader. E-mail him at rob_feeney@gage.com.