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Breaking The ‘Mold Of The Old’ For A ‘View Of The New’
Early in 2007 the world started to consider the grave effects of no more petroleum to fuel our transport and business and we watched oil and petrol prices rise to unthinkable heights, but then there seems to be an oil shelf some- where in the world that ends up being tapped into and we breathe a temporary sigh of relief that there will be a supply some-where again in the future. Unfortunately in the human labour market the hard cold fact is that we can’t clone ourselves, well actually, we can! I hear you say, but what do we do in the next 18 years whilst that body grows to fill the labour shortage void? This line of thought is unthinkable, but the reality is – we just don’t have the physical numbers to stack up against the baby boomer’s leaving the work force.
Even if each boomer decided to work part-time, we are still at a deficit. Businesses are not moving fast enough in their thought processes or to prepare their business for a dramatic change in how human labour is utilised and applied in the business. Management teams stay behind the closed doors of the boardrooms to discuss these issues amongst the smaller few, instead of tapping in on every drop of human asset innovative brain juice that the company employs to develop new ideas and strategies to manage a growing problem that there just no ‘shelf to tap into’ to solve. We must solve it another way. We must revolutionise the way we do business from multiple aspects. We must break the ‘mold of the old’ and create a ‘view for the new’.
Most companies that I talk to lament how difficult it is to find good staff, but when I ask them where are you looking on average most will answer with only 3 or so avenues that they are using, be it SEEK, a recruitment agency or internal staff & referrals.
So while we battle on in the ‘War for talent’ let me assure you that the talent has won, as they are in no shortage of savvy businesses, who may be your competitors, finding them because they plan their recruitment strategy, look for and try innovative ways to expand their avenues of finding talent.
A company I recently consulted with had been looking for a Marketing Assistant for 4 months using only SEEK and were surprised that they were not getting any results. We expanded that to 10 different avenues in which to expose their company to candidates and within weeks the position was filled.
Companies need to be aware of the cost of vacancy to their business, whilst you think you may be saving on a monthly salary that is not going out whilst no one is in the role you are exposing your business to various other tangible and intangible costs, some which indirectly can end up being critical. These include decreased morale amongst staff as they are burdened with extra work load. This is enough to be the ‘straw that breaks the camel’s back’ for some employees who then seek to jump ship also – it’s called the domino effect. The cost of decreased customer satisfaction, lost sales and revenue, project or delivery deadlines impacted, whatever the position there is a cost of vacancy for that position.
Let’s throw around some really scary ideas to differentiate yourself from your competitors and attract candidates:
Down tools from 1pm – 3pm for an afternoon siesta, yoga class, gym break, leisurely shop, massage. (Spain)
Napping rooms and desk pillows. (Japan)
Extra leave (Finland)
6 week mid-year break (Sweden)
These may seem extreme to some and the mere thought of extending this kind of an environment at work may sound preposterous, however these are all happening currently as the absolute norm in many other countries of the world, Spain, Japan, Finland and Sweden. The point I am trying to make here is to notice how you are reacting to this suggested mind shift. Are you hearing a voice inside say ‘No way! Too much and too hard’ or are you saying ‘yes, actually this could yield opportunities for my company’. Are you willing to make the risk to be a leader of innovative work practices in our new cultural landscape?
The alarm bell is ringing and businesses have hit the snooze button too many times. It is time businesses and people managers to wake up to the new dawn of a new business context and paradigm that we are facing.
Leaders make strong direction and pull others along with them. Managers have to push others to be engaged or motivated. Are you a leading your company with an open mind or are you pushing your way into the new era?
What do you think? Leave your comments below…
2 Comments
Hi Anne-Marie,
Nice Article ….
I have been looking for another Opportunity for about a year now … without coming up with a result.
Mind you .. I have a few Legacies.. 1. AGE 2. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 3. ATTITUDE 4. WISDOM 5. COMMON SENSE 6. NETWORK 7. INTELLIGENCE……….
Any Organisation ( Domestic or International ) could a ” Guy ” like this ….. ???
Hear from you soon … if you are game enough….
Cheers… Richard
Hi Richard,
I am glad you enjoyed the article! You might be interested in our free reports