The cartoon is probably a reasonable summation of 2022 for many business owners.
If it’s not just work from home, it’s flexibility, conditions or a pay rise.
But even more, it’s just finding staff or retaining the staff that you have.
Many owners have stepped back IN the business, when they really want to be working ON the business.
In many cases there is no choice in the short term in order to get stuff done.
Finding & retaining staff is addressed as part of the Owner Manager Program. We follow the practical teachings (mentioned below) in Winning the War for Talent and other models in the Program.
Winning the War for Talent is a practical guide to attracting and retaining staff and the author is one of the facilitators of the QLD Owner Manager Program.
She also wrote the book Family Village Tribe about the team and culture structure of Flight Centre that led to their success.
There are great practical ideas and techniques that can help in this area.
Many owners get an instant return on their owner manager program investment just by finding those key staff members that they need or putting in place structures to retain the staff they have.
Many have felt that there is nothing they can do but soon learn that there are always options and opportunities.
A number struggle with the thought:
How can I take time out of the business when I don’t have enough people in the first place?
The truth is that if you don’t step back, take time out or do something different, nothing will change.
Everyone in business has grown up in a world where finding talent was as easy as posting a job. “If you post it, they will come” was the answer.
We have been teaching on the program for years that the supply of skilled labour is shrinking compared to the jobs available.
In the book The End of the World is Just the Beginning Peter Zeihan tells us that demographically we are a bit rooted.
However, there are practical things that you can do. We elaborate on them in the Owner Manager Program:
- Marketing and Sales. Change your mindset, think of hiring like marketing a product or service. Apply marketing principles like segmentation, positioning, target marketing, and sales to finding and retaining staff.
- Speed. Good candidates are like great property deals. The best ones often aren’t even on the market and those that do come on the market don’t stay long. Don’t mess around. Design your recruitment process with speed in mind.
- Good applicants come in all shapes and sizes. Think of others that might have the skills to fill the role or part of the role. Look in alternative markets or solutions (NZ is one that is close).
- Attitude. Winning the War for Talent talks about 5 key attitudes of great recruits and shows you how to screen for them objectively.
Here are some links to the author’s blog 3 Secret Weapons to Great Recruitment or Using Time to Attract or the book Winning the War for Talent that might be a good holiday read.
If you’re still saying that none of these things work, then you’ll definitely appreciate something like the Owner Manager Program. If you’re already on board we look forward to working with you.
The Program will help you with alternate solutions, business structures or business models to adapt your business.
If your business is reliant on people and you can’t get the right people, then something has to change.
Feel free to get in touch if you want to discuss your situation or connect with people that can assist.
