like customers retain those workers
A common theme that I hear from employers is that they can’t find employees in the tight labor market. Yet I see other employers that experience little problem finding people. What makes those employers different? As I spoke with one particular plant manager it became evident why he always had plenty of applicants for his positions.
Unlike his counterparts, he treats prospective and current employees like clients. He realizes that employees, like customers, do not have to be associated with his organization. That recognition prompts him to employ the same ideas that make his organization sought after by customers.
He is innovative and strives to differentiate his organization from the competition. His approach is centered on four basic ideas.
– Creativity
– Flexibility
– Retain the client/customers you have
– Treat everyone with respect
Potential clients demand creativity in the solutions that you provide. Applying the same level of creativity in finding employees will produce tangible results.
If a major customer has a quality problem, a team of experts in the organization would be assembled to develop solutions. Use that same technique to generate ideas to source employees. The ideas generated will exceed your expectations. Such creativity also can be used to develop ideas that will help you to retain employees.
Flexibility is an absolute must when working with prospective and current employees. The diverse nature of today’s workforce necessitates that employers provide options to employees that, in the past, they never would have considered.
Flexible benefits provide choices that employees value. Different work schedules and time off to deal with family issues are viewed favorably by employees. If a customer needed a modification in product or service, would you consider the request?
No longer can you take it for granted that your current employees will be with you in the future. Do you take it for granted that your current clients will continue to do business with you?
The best sources of new business are your current clients. The best source of new employees is referrals from your existing employees. Ask employees for their help in finding new employees. If your employees view the organization in a positive light, they will readily refer applicants. If not, then you need to examine how you are working with your people.
Treating everyone with respect should be a given. Unfortunately, it is not. Many employers still view employees as commodities. That message comes across loud and clear to employees. How long do you think employees will remain in an organization with such a philosophy when they can walk down the street and have another job in minutes?
Smart business dictates that employees be treated with the same respect as your customers.
Employers still do not take recruitment and retention as seriously as they do landing and retaining clients. Retention and recruitment is hard work. It is also contrary to the beliefs that firms have held for many years that employees should seek out employers and not the opposite.
Employers that adopt a customer-oriented approach will be able to attract employees when others struggle to do so.
Jeff Kortes leads the human resources consulting group BENHR, Inc., in Milwaukee. He can be reached at 414-271-7333 or at
jkortes@benefitsinc.com.
