In our part of the world, (Alberta, Saskatchewan and British Columbia) we are seeing and feeling the business engines starting to turn on…..Big time!
Within our business community (Edmonton) and with our corporate clients it is common to hear 20%, 35% or 50% growth projections in business in the next 12 to 18 months. These projected numbers may sound exciting however; they come with many challenges and risks. One of the main challenges that currently impacts businesses today is the struggle of recruiting good people. We hear of companies looking for 40 welders, or another having 16 job postings at the present time. Recruiting good and quality people will be key!
But what exactly are you recruiting to? How is your culture? How stressed is your current team with demands and pressures that make it difficult to always put on a happy face? Are your systems and processes tight and effective? Who is doing the recruiting or interviewing? What are they feeling and what message are they conveying to the candidates?
I had a conversation recently with a business contact of ours and she needed our support to assist with Coaching and Development of a key employee. A line that really resonated was: “it is much more economical to do this now, than to have a vacancy and recruit later.”
Some companies are brilliant at retaining employees. They have great benefit plans, profit sharing, company perks, workout facilities, equipment and technology to assist them in their roles. Sometimes it is the simple things that can make all the difference too. Are we communicating with our employees? Are we listening to what they have to say? Do we show respect and attempt to make a connection?
X5 is a fan of John C. Maxwell and his book, “Everyone Communicates Few Connect” As the author suggests, only one thing stands between you and success. An excerpt from his book summary: How can you really connect with others? “Connecting is the ability to identify with people and relate to them in a way that increases your influence with them,” says Maxwell. “And the ability to communicate and connect with others is a major determining factor in reaching your potential. To be successful, you must work with others. To do that at your absolute best, you must learn to connect.”
From our vantage point we see a real need to connect with our employees and ensure all is good within our company. Assuming we want to keep them, we need to pay close attention to this very critical area of our business.
