Weekly Question: "I Can't Find Good Employees?"

"Ever since COVID, I noticed that people are significantly less reliable, not as serious, if they can avoid responsibility - they will in a heart beat. How do I attract good talent?" 

 
Taking out the COVID part, we can say that this problem has been ongoing for many many years (even decades) before COVID. What I do believe is that COVID only made the obvious - more obvious. It was obvious to the people who were studying this field, and now it has become even more obvious to the masses. 

I'll share with you an example: 

Several years before the Pandemic, I implemented a Hybrid model in my previous job. It was faced with a great deal of hesitancy and pushback. However, this model proved to be so effective that the transition during COVID was seamless for this company and it is now their norm, post-COVID. 

What was obvious to me years before COVID became "no-brainer" to my employer during and after COVID. 

With that being said, going back to the question "how can I attract the right employees" - the simple answer is that there isn't a "magic-wand solution". It really highly depends on you, your leadership style, your mindset around the workplace, the type of culture you want for your business, your outlook on life, your understanding of the generation of the workforce, and so many other pieces to the puzzle. 

What I can share with you here and now is this... 

During COVID, I conducted research where I interviewed about 10,000 people throughout a couple of years. I was meeting 3-5 new people a day and was asking them a series of questions about why they recently left their jobs? What was causing them to consider leaving their job? If anything were to change at work, what would keep them from leaving? 

Here are the results.  

• "I didn't feel valued or appreciated at work"
• "I was being told how to do my job" 
• "I was overlooked for a promotion" 
• "There was no future growth for me there"  
• "I don't have time for my family"  
• "I don't have time to pursue my interests and hobbies" 

These and more were the overarching themes I kept hearing people say. It got to a point where I was almost able to predict what they would say. 

There's a lot to talk about this topic and the topic of what motivates employees to perform best at their jobs, I'll leave that for another article. 

For now, let's summarize these three categories of issues commonly found in the workplace. 

1. People don't feel valued and appreciated 

Imagine this: 

We just hired an accountant to take care of our books. The accountant plays a major role in our company because that person is directly responsible for the finances of our company. 

The accountant I hire is top of his class, has a great deal of accomplishments, and has large corporate experience. This person has spent countless time, energy, and money to get to the level of expertise he is at. 

At one of our meetings, I start yelling at him or arguing with him when it comes to a certain financial decision we need to make. 

Who am I to argue? What expertise do I actually have when it comes to accounting? Didn't I hire this guy to be the best accountant for my business? Why I am giving him a hard time? He's doing his job! 

This demonstrates what happens very often in many companies. The expert that was hired on the assumption that they are either the best at what they do, or they are expected to bring their best foot forward is met with resistance and isn't getting the respect (or dignity) they deserve. This illustrates that the employer (me in the example above), doesn't appreciate or value his accountant. 

What happens here, is that the accountant feels unfulfilled and will begin disengaging from work, causing their productivity at work to drop and they will start seeking alternatives. 

2. People don't like to feel stuck and staggered 

The example given in the previous issue is a very common, and for the most part, obvious issue. This one is a little less obvious. 

Jenna* has been working for her agency for just over 8 years now, she loves her job, it's extremely rewarding, and her clients love her. Jenna discovers that there is an opportunity where she can make management in her agency but she is missing a certification. She asks her employer to help offset the cost of the course, a couple of months of training, and certification, all at a cost of $6000. The employers refuse. 

A few months later, it was announced that a new manager would be relocated from across the country and would be filling the role of that same management position that Jenna was eyeing. With a simple calculation, it is found that the agency is paying a significant amount to cover the cost of relocating the individual and matching her current salary. 

What could have cost the agency a few thousand dollars is now costing them several tens of thousands more. 

How do you think Jenna feels now? 

Situations like these happen pretty often. People feel like they are either stuck at their jobs or they are overlooked for opportunities. The example I gave (even though it's based on a real case study that I worked with) is considered extreme for the point that I am making, but it demonstrates an example of how quickly you can lose your talent's loyalty and how quickly they can lose their fulfillment at their job. 

3. People realize that they have a life beyond 9-5 

Lastly, if there was anything people learned from the Pandemic, it was that they had a family and how important it is to value their family. 

The proximity of the lockdowns and stay-at-home mandates forced people to recognize what they were missing out on. 

Most doctor appointments or other domestic responsibilities happen within the 9-5 window. People try to avoid using their PTO or they cringe when they have to take a hit to their paycheck when they need to take time off. 

People also realized how much life they were missing out on. Their hobbies and interests have been neglected for years, they come to realize that life is short and isn't worth spending on commutes to work or sitting behind a desk at an office (especially when they aren't being properly appreciated or overlooked for opportunities of growth). 

As you can see, none of these three issues have anything to do with pay. None have to do with employee benefits. None have to do with the employee being lazy. All of these have everything to do with the employer's mindset and sensitivity to the people who work with him or her. 

So how do you attract and attain top talent? 

The simple answer is to understand the people you work with. Ask them questions about what they expect to gain by working with your company. Have a clear vision and be able to relay the vision. Inspire your recruit. Assure them that you have their best interest in mind. In return, you will gain tremendous loyalty, engagement, and high levels of productivity. 

Weekly Challenge:

1. Is your vision aligned with the people you are looking to attract? 
2. What programs do you have in place that benefit the growth of your employees? 
3. Do your employees feel safe, heard, valued, appreciated, and their best interests met? 

 
Please feel welcome to share your thoughts on the LinkedIn Post