As much as we hate to still be talking about the impact of COVID-19 (we’re guessing you’re right there with us!), there’s one thing we just can’t ignore: Now, more than ever, it is REALLY hard for businesses to find and keep great talent. The pandemic completely uprooted our ways of doing business and brought operations for many companies to a screeching halt. To say that it’s been a slow recovery is an understatement and we know there are so many businesses that are still struggling to survive right now. Part of that struggle is coming from a hiring crisis as we’ve never seen in our lifetime, but the struggle isn’t just a factor of the pandemic. Finding and keeping great talent for your team is ALWAYS a challenge, maybe not at the levels we’re currently seeing, but it will never be one of those “set it and forget it” situations. Your hiring, onboarding, and retention tactics will always need your attention and refinement.
With that in mind, let’s talk about how to find and keep those rockstar employees that everyone’s fighting over!
Sweetening the Deal
This is the most obvious answer – and one you’ve likely already given some thought to. But, it has to be said: if you’re struggling to entice new employees to join your team, you may need to rethink what you’re offering them. With the job market being more competitive than ever, it’s important to make sure that you’re not just relying on “being a great place to work” as your only offer. Of course, it’s important to be a great place to work (more on that in a bit), but your applicants are looking for something extraordinary to help them make their decision. Consider their lives – their needs, dreams, and hopes – and ask yourself about what would help them live their best life as valued members of your team. Obviously, everybody’s needs are different, but a great place to start would include:
- Competitive Pay
- Great Healthcare – medical, vision & dental
- Wellness Initiatives
- Paid Time Off
- Flexible Schedules
- Remote Work if Possible
Now, of course, you can’t just take a shot in the dark and hope you land on great choices. It’s important to do some market research to see where others in your industry are excelling (and could potentially lead job applicants away from you!) and where they fall short so that you can find yourself in a comfortable position that both sweetens the deal for job applicants and works within your budget.
All About the Culture
Now, about that whole “great place to work” thing – this IS important (it’s just not everything)! Company culture seems like it’s become one of those buzz words in HR management over the past few years – it gets thrown around quite a bit – but somehow, nobody seems entirely sure what it really means or how to apply it to their business. And that’s likely because it means something different for everyone. There is no blueprint for success when developing your company culture. It requires you to be fully in tune with the inner workings of your team. You need to understand the different personalities on your team, their work styles – both as individuals and members of a team, their strengths and weaknesses, their motivators, etc. Developing a company culture that makes your employees excited to show up every Monday and keeps them coming back relies entirely on your ability to understand each member of your team and your involvement in their paths to success.
Of course, this is an ongoing effort, as getting to know your employees isn’t enough to create a company culture that keeps your team in place over time. As with all things, time changes everything, and just because your employees are satisfied today doesn’t mean they will still be satisfied 1 month, 1 year, 5 years from now. So, it is incredibly important to check in regularly, look for pain points and encourage open communication so that you can get to the source of a problem before it becomes a disruptor to your company culture.
And, of course, when your company is a great place to work, you need to tell people about it! Develop your employment brand online (yes, that’s a thing) by showing off what makes your company special. Encourage your employees to share why they love coming to work every day. Brag a little – it’s okay, you have permission to do that sometimes! Sharing regularly about the specific things that make your company so awesome has the potential to not only entice the talented job seekers you’re hoping to hire, but it could get the attention of people who weren’t even planning to apply and inspire them to join your team.
Lead With Love
When hearing people talk about company culture, there is one thing that always seems to be left out of the conversation: love. That’s probably not what you expected to read there, but it’s true. The BEST way to ensure that you’re making the right decisions for your business in all areas but specifically in hiring and employee retention is to Lead with Love.
Leading with Love means that you use love as the guidepost for every goal you set, every decision you make, and every interaction you have with employees, job applicants, clients – everybody. Think about it; if you love someone, you’re going to consider their needs, you’ll make them a priority, you’ll make decisions that can positively impact their lives – all things that are part of a positive work environment and company culture. But leading with love goes even deeper than that because it’s not just about the big decisions – the benefits packages, company parties, or casual Fridays. Those things are all great and can do a lot to make your employees happy. But where the magic really happens is in taking the time to break it down to microscopic levels. Who are your employees?
- What is their Love Language?
- How do they receive and show love/appreciation?
- What inspires them?
- What’s their Enneagram personality profile?
Some of those questions may seem completely random to you, but you’d be amazed by how much the answers to those questions can impact the choices you make and help you build stronger relationships with each member of your team.
Ultimately, none of us have real control over the current hiring crisis we’re all experiencing. But it doesn’t mean we can’t build ourselves up and make our businesses stronger, better, and more welcoming for all the great talent that’s out there in the job market.
Are you struggling to find great talent for your team or wondering why you’ve got a revolving door with employees coming and going constantly? Let’s talk! Our Business Growth Expert, Katy Calabrese, and Master Strategist, Courtney Riley, are here to help and come equipped with decades of experience and wisdom to look objectively at your business and provide innovative solutions in the midst of this unprecedented hiring crisis.
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