Reading time – 39 seconds; Viewing time – 2:09 . . .
Near the beginning of my keynotes and workshops I often ask attendees what their biggest leadership challenge is. In the last couple of years I’ve commonly heard about the challenge of finding qualified people to fill job openings. While this is actually a management challenge rather than a leadership challenge (see Fully Alive Leadership Practice #1), it is unquestionably a real challenge for most of us.
We’re living in a full employment economy, so the people you want to hire aren’t knocking on your door because they already have a job. That makes keeping the people you already have far more important, and, because other employers are facing the same hiring obstacles that you are, they’re trying to peel your best people away from your shop.
If your people are to stay with you, they have to see staying as more attractive than leaving. What would cause them to see things that way?
On November 14 Fox Business discussed that and said that you have three tools in your HR toolbox for keeping your qualified workers:
- Raise wages
- Improve the work experience
- Improve your company culture
Right – that’s pretty much a Captain Obvious list. But it’s actually tougher than that.
The HR studies on motivation and, consequently, engagement, tell us that more money really isn’t a powerful long term motivator, assuming that your people feel fairly paid and they aren’t in financial crisis. That leaves worker experience and company culture as the only tools in your toolbox.
Underpinning those two key things is whether you care enough about your people to make sure they are having a great work experience and that your company culture is such that yours is a best place to work. Your great leadership challenge is to make that so.
We have in-house resources and ways to connect you to even more to help you with that. Glad to talk any time.
Invite Jack to Speak!
Whether it's a keynote presentation for your annual meeting or the industry convention, or the workshop for your leadership team, Jack delivers actionable content that goes down easy and delivers great value. Check into the possitilities here.
