Saving HR

When I left a role in HR Management the end of 2019, I knew I was exiting the organization at just the right moment. Had you spoken to me a year earlier, I was absolutely enthralled with my organization and role. Change happens, not always positive. Busy season was approaching, the organizational structure and leadership reorganization were not in alignment with my values and I wanted to venture into freelance consulting.

If you are one of the THOUSANDS of employers saying "we just can't find people" or "nobody wants to work", I will bluntly tell you that you are not solving the problem because you don't understand the problem.

HERE ARE THE REAL REASONS YOU ARE UNDERSTAFFED:

1) You are not paying a living wage. If you cannot afford to pay a living wage, you are either:

A) Not doing enough business to justify another hire.

B) Not marketing to the only people who can work for less than what it takes to live: HIGHSCHOOLERS/ people who live with people who pay the bills and they want spending money.

Nope, our pay is AWESOME! We've even raised pay to account for the inflation this year!

2)Your benefits aren't competitive or you are not communicating them to your employees in a way that they are utilized and valued.

We've got GREAT BENEFITS and our employee communications are SPOT ON!

3) Your management lacks training= YOUR DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM SUCKS!

-When you bring in a great employee and they are stuck with an incompetent, unprofessional, or arrogant jerk of a boss? That great employee will go elsewhere. EVERYTIME.

-If you are not investing in your people and their development, why should they be so invested in your success?

We have a wonderful development program at our organization!

4) Your recruitment process needs to be revamped.

-Nobody needs to submit a resume AND fill out an application. It's ridiculous. Can we STOP IT ALREADY?

-COMMUNICATE (timely) and not just the auto response of "We've received your application...." Why not keep the candidate in the loop? Let them know you will reach out to selected candidates by a certain date to schedule interview. Let them know if they are not selected and better yet, if you can and know how to legally, a genuine WHY.

-Understand the best candidates are not impressed when you suddenly reach out after a month and say "Hey, want to interview?" It's like being asked to prom day-of... None of my top picks worked out so we are calling you because you MIGHT BE good enough.

-Nobody should take the time to apply for a job to be forgotten. If you interview them? NEVER GHOST THEM. If you took their time to interview, don't make selections and pretend they don't exist.

But we're not hiring them, so who cares?

Well, if you saw A Christmas Story, Santa sends a parent to a COMPETITING RETAILER for a gift. The store owner is displeased. But Santa says that those people will appreciate the help to make Christmas perfect for their child and will return to do business with their store because the people here CARE.

Maybe you don't want them today, but maybe their next role makes them completely prepared for a role you need to fill in the future. Maybe their friend or family member is your dream employee, but they never apply because they hear how awful you were. Or maybe just do it to be kind because kindness never hurts a culture.

Our recruiting process is perfect. No issues there!

Well, then, sadly, you are my last group and if you are group five and lead HR, it is likely your fault.

5) Your corporate culture is NOT conducive to happiness and wellbeing. Read: TOXIC.

-Your employees are HUMAN BEINGS. If nothing else during the last year, many people have learned the value of their time because they stepped out of the workplace long enough to experiment with living everyday on their own schedule and their own terms. These human beings are not the same as they were in 2019. Many have experienced life without work and found it not too bad at all. Many have started businesses and a few have even made their first million away from employment.

So the #1 change to culture I recommend for 2021 and beyond?

FLEXIBILITY with your employees. I understand not everyone can work from home, but what about a 3 hour flex time weekly where employees come in late, long lunch or leave early and live their life. No PTO requests or need to fake sick. They can pick from allowable times (ie. NOT busiest times, meeting times and training times). They can go to a doctor or dentist, enjoy the outdoors or spend some extra time with family without using up the time they earn and accrue by working.

A European study found that an employees working 6 hours a day are more productive than employees working an 8 hour day and SIGNIFICANTLY more productive than those working 10 or more hours. So why are we so STUCK on the 40 hour+ workweek in the US?

Finally, if an employee can be productive from home and likes to work from home, why exactly is it so very important to have them in the office everyday? STOP IT. If you employ adults, you DO NOT NEED TO MICROMANAGE. If your employees need you to stare at them all day to work well, you are hiring the wrong people.

I understand not all roles can be done from home, so disregard if this is not a remote possibility.(Sorry, I couldn't NOT do that play on words.)

If none of the five reasons apply to you, please reach out to me with your dystopian business hell story if you would like consultancy.