By Mike Heffner
The biggest question in our industry right now is – How do I find and keep good people when nobody wants to work? I would challenge the question back to you. What are you doing to become a place where people want to work? How are you looking to lead your team and build an environment that creates an experience that people want to be a part of? What differentiates you as an employer from others that look to hire the same talent you need?
The shortage of talent is forcing companies to get better at hiring, developing, and retaining employees. Covid just sped up the exit from the workplace and the demands that employees wanted for their workplace. Post pandemic, there are more jobs being created than people being added to the workforce. There are just not enough people being born to replace those that are aging out and no longer able to work. Childcare, education, physical and mental needs as well as what workers are willing to do have changed. Even an economic slowdown will not fix the shortage of workers problem and let’s face it, we may already be in a recession.
It’s not that people don’t want to work. People just want to do fulfilling work that has value and purpose. Most companies treat the hiring process as a to do list. This old approach doesn’t get new employees to buy in, and HR has to realize the importance of these early conversations. They are selling their company to people looking for work. It’s no longer about your requirements, it’s about their needs. You are marketing and selling your culture to those interested in finding a culture like the one you have. They are looking for leaders and roles that they can be passionate about. People want to work, but they now want work to look different. The question is, how can we adapt to meet those needs and create an experience that both our internal and external customer want to buy?
Companies that are totally focused on what skills an employee has vs how they can utilize their strengths will miss out on a huge number of great employees. To survive moving forward, hiring managers must invest in new employees, help align their passion with their work, and explain what success looks like. Managers will be required to challenge their teams, helping them learn how they can serve others with what your company does. The workforce wants to do meaningful work that allows them to see how they are doing and progressing on a daily and weekly basis.
Right now, let’s face it, people are negative, unhappy, and struggling. They are searching for jobs that create happiness. They want to feel like they are winning and contributing. That’s a lot to put on an employer. Notice I haven’t spoken much about pay. It’s important, but not the most important. Employees want to have the opportunity to do what they do best. They want companies to care and leaders to invest in them.
We are in this environment for a while, no matter the economic situation. The traditional methods of posting an ad and hoping someone applies with the exact experience you need are gone. HR departments must utilize sales and marketing strategies and leaders will be required to lead and develop their staff to be successful. These are the keys to finding and retaining people that want to work and want to work for YOU!
This article is written by Mike Heffner, the owner of the local Greenwood Express Employment Professionals franchise. Contact Mike at Mike.Heffner@expresspros.com, @IndySouthMike on Twitter or visit ExpressIndySouth.com.
