If You Can't Hire Them

 

Photo by Lagos Techie on Unsplash

There is a lot of talk about not being able to hire right now (see this Capelli article for a rebuttal), but periodically, I help employers talk through the "buy versus develop" question about people. I have always been predisposed to grow my own versus buy new, so I suppose it is best to just get that bias on the table to start with. It's part of the reason I keep a car until it falls apart in the street. I know what I have and as long as it is performing satisfactorily, why take a chance on an expensive shiny new vehicle? Regular maintenance and an occasional part overhaul have tended to be less expensive and more satisfactory for me.

Regardless of your current hiring situation, there is a seismic shift in the skills needed in the economy going on. New career fields are opening up, with the numbers of skilled workers needed growing very quickly. If you have watched the news lately, cybersecurity should be an obvious example. You can hire the technical expertise for cybersecurity from an IT company with that expertise, but much of the risk involves people, not hardware and software. So even having the best company on retainer can't always keep you safe. This means pretty much every employee who has access to a computer or other smart device needs to have some level of expertise in cybersecurity. In addition to cybersecurity, changes in laws and regulations in many industries call for a constant update in compliance, tools, and techniques.

I was talking to someone this week who told me the employers she talks to just want someone who will show up dependably and work. I hear that some as well, but I also find employers also want experience and proven expertise so they don't have to spend much time training. I get it. As in most things, there is always a tradeoff between I need it now, I need it good, and I need it cheap. For some reason, employers tend to think they can get it all. Not so.

I would suggest companies need to do a thorough review to determine the types of skills that employees need now and may not have (gap analysis), but also look ahead to prepare for the future, in order to develop some skills before the need is upon you. You may not be able to hire that skill set--so begin developing your good people with updated skills.

Time Off? Or Not?

 

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

This week I have had some discussions around paid time off and about hiring/retention. They are interrelated. Most companies offer time off to be competitive in recruitment and retention. However, paid time off is also important for employee health, and it is a good internal control measure for the company. However, let's focus on paid time off as a recruitment and retention tool. Paid time off is especially appreciated by younger employees.

Many employers try to keep track of what other employers are doing in order to stay competitive in the marketplace. Since there are really no rules federally or in Texas for vacation/sick/PTO/holiday time, employers can be fairly creative in designing their programs and have a lot of options for how they structure their paid time off programs.

There are still some companies that have no paid time off or any kind, but most companies have at least some. Here are a couple of questions for consideration:

1. If an employer feels that an employee who takes all of the time allowed under their policy is somehow taking advantage of the employer, then should you be offering that much paid time off?
2. If an employee feels they cannot take the time off permitted under their employer's policy (regardless of the reason), then is your paid time off really an effective retention tool or could it be a source of dissatisfaction?

In asking these questions, I am not talking about unscheduled time off. It is always a problem to have to shuffle schedules without notice, although there is no way to avoid it occasionally. What I am talking about is scheduled time off that does not exceed the amount of time permitted under the policy you made.

Paid time off is a part of an employee's compensation. Just as an employee would feel cheated if you shorted their paycheck, they often feel cheated if you short them on time, whether it is because you express frustration if they ask for time off or they know there is so much work to do that taking the time makes them feel guilty.

Is your time off policy a true reflection of the benefit your company offers or is it a false promise?

Carrots and Sticks

Photo by Dan Burton on Unsplash

 I hear many employers complain about the "everybody gets a trophy" mindset of "young people today." Our younger employees (and really, the Millennials many complain about are not that young anymore) want many of the same things we do, they are just more willing to ask for it. Everyone wants to be recognized for doing a good job.

Some of you have probably heard the expression, "The absence of pain is its own reward." In other words, if no one is yelling at you, life is good. You have probably also heard, "What gets measured, gets done." The stick aligns with the first statement. The stick tells an employee the minimum bar. If I go below this, I'll get yelled at. So the goal is to stay above that line. However, the stick doesn't tell me what you really want, just what you don't want.

This brings us to the carrot. We tend to think of the carrot as money, but the carrot is recognition. Yes, money can be a carrot, but truthfully, it isn't the most effective carrot over the long term. The carrot is feedback to show what gets measured, gets done. In other words, I know what you want, so I can give it to you. Carrots allow us to raise performance, not just get it to exceed the minimum required.

We Boomers may have grown up in the era of the stick, but we liked the carrots too and we worked at our best for those who served them to us. Some methods are more effective than others, especially if you are trying to change behaviors or raise performance to higher levels. You need to tell people exactly what they did that you are pleased with and why it's important. If I know what you are happy about, I will likely repeat that behavior again.

Regular servings of carrots will get you more than regular beatings with sticks.