The Law of Attraction
Everyone is talking about it. We see it when fast food chains close early because they don’t have enough staff, and we see its reflection when we need to hire employees and well, forget finding good help, we settle for having reliable warm bodies. The US Bureau of Labor revealed recent unemployment stats: 11.5 million unfilled job openings. Whoa. That’s a lot. For many expected and for some inexplicable reasons, we truly live in the midst of a labor shortage.
For years we’ve known the boomers were going to retire, so that shouldn’t have been a surprise. Of course we didn’t know a pandemic was going to change the landscape of working from home, nor did we know so much “free” money would be floating around to alleviate the need for many to actually get a J-O-B. These factors swirled into a perfect storm, i.e., the labor shortage. The issue is how to deal with it…so let’s take a month and look at various options. We have options to consider.
First of all, be attractive. No company today is going to reward employee loyalty with a pension plan and a job for life, but I think prospective employees realize that and they reflect back that same lack of loyalty. These more shallow relationships between employers and employees are reflected in constant job turnovers. Unfortunately, small business owners are bearing the brunt of the fallout. So let’s put the strengths of small business to work for us. If you want great employees, attract them with sincerity and value. It’s not always about the best pay. It’s also about hours, flexibility, job landscape, relationship and benefits. Begin by creating an attractive package, making it flexible for each candidate.
Be forthright about what you’re offering. Patrick O'Rahilly from Factory Fix is quoted by Forbes: “I suggest complete transparency from the start. In fact, pay and salary rates should ideally be on the initial job posting.” In other words, invest some time in creating a clear but compelling posting when you look for candidates. Of course you need to make sure the job has some curb appeal beyond a competitive salary, right? This is where transparency is so important. You can couch your job offering in whatever words you choose, but if it isn’t an accurate posting, you’ll lose an easy hire anyway when something better comes along. What a waste of time, effort and funds in orienting the wrong recruit. Take time to think about why an employee would want to work with you and stay with you…and let that be the job you’re describing to potential applicants.
Second, consider inviting entry-level applicants with an opportunity to be mentored at your company. The University of Massachusetts describes what a mentoring program should look like, and how it can benefit your business. Research the values of mentorships for yourself. UC Davis offers a compelling viewpoint in describing its value to the worker, the mentor, and your company. This is the difference between a flash in the pan of glitzy perks and stable worth. Go for the long-term goal of getting and keeping the right candidate.
All of this has implications for our small businesses. When CNBC described the recruiter frenzy for attracting candidates, it was clear small businesses could never compete on the same playing field a mega-corporations. Moral of the story? Create your own playing field. Be attractive. Design a program that creates an employee for life rather than a buzz for someone who will take your benefits and run. Be the flower and not the bee.