(Photo above | Pixabay)
For most of us, the thought of full employment is a beautiful thing. Full employment signals a strong and growing economy with visions of opportunity around every corner. However, for a business leader in need of new employees, it can look a lot more like a barren wasteland than a land of opportunity.
In times like these, with order files piling up, it can be tempting to relax your hiring standards just to get people through the door to fill a slot. The costs involved with giving in to this temptation can have negative effects that can last far longer than the current business cycle. A company’s culture will shape that company’s identity. It can take years to build the kind of company culture you want.
All of that work can quickly come undone with a couple of bad hiring decisions made under duress.
While you may not be able to control the business cycle, you can control the way you navigate it. As a business leader, you are accustomed to competition in the market place. You are now in a situation where you will have to approach hiring in very much the same way. You are, after all, in competition with every other business in town for the same great talent. Much the same as you differentiate your product or service to attract customers; you will have to differentiate your company culture and compensation package to attract top talent.
Getting the best of the existing pool of applicants doesn’t just happen; it is the result of creating an environment where people want to be. What can you do to make your company a great place to work? You may have to get creative. Not all benefits have to cost a lot of money. You may be offering an expensive benefits package that is not in line with what is important to your employee’s. Let your employees help you with this.
A culture that makes an employee want to come to work every day, that communicates that you value them as a team member and want to see them grow in their career, will allow you to keep the talent you have worked to attract and cultivate. When it comes to attracting top talent, having a reputation of being an employer that cares about its employees can make all the difference.
In the end, it never hurts to call in an expert when you need help.
Sam Lambert is vice president of Mid Oregon Personnel. Mid Oregon Personnel, 2248 NE Division Street, Bend, 541-382-0445, sam@midoregonpersonnel.com
