I have been on a lot of calls over the last 6 months. and the biggest complaint for entrepreneurs and leaders alike, is finding qualified employees. This has been in every sector, every industry, and every geographic area of the country. I wish I had a magic bullet for where employees went and where to find them.
We know that there are millions of women who can’t go back to in-person work. They are taking care of children who have been in remote schools. There is little or no childcare for their little ones or after-school care for their school-aged children. And women are family caregivers taking care of adult relatives as well.
We’ve heard about the “Great Resignation”, characterized by workers who are no longer willing to deal with discrimination, unfair treatment, inflexibility, and other kinds of abuse being perpetrated by some employers.
Workers who don’t have a choice but to be in-person, are less and less interested in risking their lives for low wages that don’t allow them to meet the financial needs of their families and keep them as part of the working poor. This is inspiring many advocates to demand a $15 minimum wage. Wherever you are in the ecosystem, COVID has us all rethinking work.
In a recent article, Phillip Kane states, “According to a survey conducted by LinkedIn, 74 percent of those surveyed indicated that the time spent at home — either during shut-downs or working remotely — during the pandemic had caused them to rethink their current work situation. A great many — over half in several surveys — cite stress and burnout in their current position as a reason for looking elsewhere. Others point to dissatisfaction, and even fear, caused by knee-jerk cost-cutting actions by their current employer in response to Covid-19-related business slowdowns as a reason for bolting, with many finding fundamental unfairness in holds on promotions, frozen merit increases, and indiscriminate layoffs which impacted poor performers and stars equally, particularly as they watched executive leadership refuse to participate in the pain.”(MSN.com The Great Resignation is Here and It is Real)
So, how are you thinking differently about getting the tasks and functions done in your organization? Is it time to think about how to get those tasks done under a different arrangement than full-time W-2 employees? What can be contracted out? What needs to stay in-house? How do you create a culture that is attractive to potential employees, especially younger workers?
One client has created a permanent work-from-home policy. Another offers unlimited vacation days to her small team of knowledge workers. Another business owner offers hybrid in-person and remote work where employees have a choice of working in the office, as long as they are in the office one day per week and for key team activities and team meetings. Other’s are enticing employees with better wages and benefits.
Workers have choices. There is an entire economy of freelance workers (see Freelancers Union). Entrepreneurism is growing, and women and people of color are starting businesses in record numbers. It’s important for employers to provide a great place to work and pay attention to what their employees need and want. Retention is now the key to your success.
Are you struggling to fill positions. Is it time to deal with your toxic organizational culture? Or is it time to shift your thinking about work and adjust to the new more flexible working environment. You don’t have to struggle alone. Click here to schedule your free consultation now and get the support you need to figure out how to attract great employees and/or how to get the work done differently.
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