June 2008 newsletter

Work-life balance is defined as "the interaction between paid work and other life activities, including family, community, leisure and personal development." People want to know that they can balance work and family in an environment that does not punish them for needing to take a day off when their kids are sick. They want to know that the company values and acknowledges that life is not all about work - that other factors are equally as important, and that balance between the two must exist in order to have a higher quality of life. They want to work for companies who make provisions for "whole-life" experiences rather than putting "work" in one box, and "life" in another. This is especially important to Generation Y (those born after 1980), and if you are employing them right now, you'll probably agree that they are not motivated the way boomers are.

Magnet companies pay attention to this. They provide benefits like on-site daycares. They offer wellness programs(weight loss programs, quit-smoking programs, exercise options). They offer flexible work models to accommodate stage of life. They show empathy when life situations affect work and make allowances for that. They find ways to value their employees on a regular basis. They find ways to reward and motivate people who work for them - even if it costs them something. One company I know gives every employee their birthday off work. They claim it costs them very little to do this - but it means the world to their employees. Another company has a monthly draw for all employees to win a 4-day weekend. Again, the cost is little but payoff is great. Regular employee awards and rewards, valuing every person in the company regardless of their position for what they contribute, and being a "human" employer who understands the needs and demands of the modern worker will put you in a position to be a survivor in this increasingly shrinking workforce.

Here are some other strategies magnet companies use to position themselves as "most wanted" companies.

1.  Become Less Vulnerable to Employee Piracy
In order for you to retain good people, you must know what your competitors are offering and be willing to do what it takes to flex to the needs of employees you have. Remember, it is not always about money. Things that are important to the worker today about the companies they will choose to work for are (in this order of importance):

• Work/life balance
  
• from their employer with respect to their needs outside of workA company that is well-respected in
• the community (one that others speak well of)
• Sensitivity and good practices on the issue of diversity (employment equity) and the company's attitude and practice in regards to the environment
• Company sustainability - how long will they be around? Are they using practices that are helping them to achieve financial sustainability in the long haul?
• Money/compensation

2.  Accepting New Employment Models
The typical 9-5 worker still exists in the workforce, but increasingly, companies will need to be willing to look at other work models if they are to attract and retain employees. Models such as job shares, flex workers, working at home (telecommuters), consultants and freelancers, permanent part-time workers and even commuters who live in other communities but work in the city. Again with demand being in the worker's hands, they can opt for companies who are willing to offer flexible work models over those who do not.

3.  Employing Older Workers
Stratford referred to a phenomenon called the "Silver Tsunami" as a future trend. People are living longer (average lifespan has increased by 20 years since 1962), and are generally choosing to work longer. Companies who do not see the value in providing work to qualified, competent seniors will lose out. They generally have a stronger work ethic and a greater sense of loyalty; have a great deal more life experience and maturity to contribute to corporate culture; and tend to be bigger picture thinkers in terms of their career and company mindset.

4.  Accessing the Aboriginal Workforce
In Canada, Aboriginal peoples are the largest growing group with the highest birth rate (at 2.5 compared to 1.4 for the average non-aboriginal women). They will become a large part of the future Canadian workforce.

5.  Ongoing Employment Equity and Diversity Practices
Immigration laws are going to have to change as the government grapples with our shrinking labour force. Therefore, immigrants will become part of the solution for finding workers for Canadian jobs.

6.  Aggressive, Pro-active Recruitment
The time to recruit people is not when you have a job opening. Maintaining relationships with trade schools and post-secondary institutions, becoming a company that is known in the community for its "magnetic" qualities, and continually networking with quality individuals gives you an edge for when that position opens up.

7. Even More Aggressive Employee Retention
If you are creating a work environment that provides flexibility, appreciation, high work satisfaction, fun, and a sense of contributing to company growth and success, you will be less vulnerable to losing your employees to piracy, or even to just "a better job" down the road with your competitor. A magnet company works hard at providing regular feedback, meaningful evaluations, a means for employees to achieve personal and career goals, an opportunity to grow and improve their skills, and a sense of accomplishment and contributing to the big picture, and they will retain employee loyalty, and be less vulnerable to other offers - even if there is more money involved.

8.  Demonstrating Strong Hiring and Firing Practices
If you hire the right people in the first place, you will be less likely to lose them. A consistent, strong hiring practice that allows for the selection of individuals who will buy into your corporate culture, core values and business practices is your best key to employee retention. Ensuring a good fit between you and your potential employee means getting to know them on a level deeper than just "what are your strengths and weaknesses, and what's on your resume?" Intelligent questions must be asked that probe deeper, like what they value, what their personal goals are and whether that fits with the position they're applying for, what their personal style is and whether that's a fit for the position and for the people they work with, and how they have handled difficulties in the past. Finally, firing is never easy, but when you must terminate an employee, doing it in a way that is respectful of their dignity, and that shows your integrity as a company, will take you a long way towards being known as a magnet company. Acknowledging that being fired is always a traumatic situation for the employee, and doing it with kindness and sensitivity is paramount.

The shrinking workforce is a reality, but with these tools in mind, you can minimize the negative impact it has on your business. Become a magnet company. I highly recommend searching UTube for the Google piece - it's worth seeing and will give you a strong picture of what a magnet company looks like. Finally, don't sit back and pretend it's not going to affect you. It will, and your survival depends on your willingness to shift your paradigm.

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Personal Compatibility
The first step is to look at how compatible this person is for the job. They may have the most impressive resume, their references claim they have superpowers, and they charm the heck out of you in an interview. None of these things necessarily mean they're going to be a good fit. Personal style is a huge component of compatibility, and there are dozens of tools you can use to get this information. Say for example, you need a position that is heavy on detail, accuracy and analysis. You happen to be a very outgoing, social, spontaneous person, so when you interview Dan, you immediately are drawn to him. He makes you laugh, has tons of energy and charisma, and an impressive resume that's based heavily in customer service. When you ask him about his ability to do detail-oriented work, he convinces you it's no problem. The reality is, his perception of "detail" work may vary vastly from the reality of your job. If you know anything about personal styles, you'll realize that highly social, spontaneous individuals generally do not function well in detail-oriented jobs, and it's likely Dan won't last more than a few months in the new position, and you'll be left scratching your head wondering where things went wrong. There's a reason Dan was successful in customer service - his social skills and charm were a perfect match for that position. Dan isn't a bad employee, he's just been hired for the wrong job, and no matter how much you liked him, you didn't do him or you a service.

Use any one of dozens of tools available on the internet or through a reputable counseling agency or employment company to test the person's style (tools like the Myers Briggs Type Indicator, or the Social Styles Indicator). In fact, you'd be smart to test people already highly successful in the job to determine what the most important characteristics are for success, and then hire people with that same group of characteristics. While there are always exceptions, you'd do well to go with the proven rather than the exception.

Skills, Knowledge and Ability (SKA's)
Personal compatibility is just one piece of the puzzle. Even if people test that they are a good match for the job, you must still look at their SKA's to ensure they have what you need. Perhaps you're an employer who is willing to take someone who is less skilled but has great potential - you'd prefer it in fact because they are less likely to be stuck in their ways and are more trainable. You may however, really require someone who has lots of experience and skill that will require very little training - it depends on what you need. Don't be content with just accepting what's on their resume. Ask them open-ended questions to prove they can provide the specific skills you require. "Tell me about a time when you . . ." Also, if you need to do testing to determine a level of skill or accuracy - do it. Better to know up front that a person can't pass the grade than to find out 90 days into the hire they're not going to cut it. Exploring SKA's is an important part of the hiring process.

Corporate Fit
Small business owners rarely think about this as a piece of the hiring puzzle, but it's critical. Does this person share the values you are trying to incorporate in the workplace (honesty, teamwork, leadership)? Do they have a similar work ethic (do they just want to put in their 9-5 or will they go above and beyond if you need them to)? Are they tenacious, do they have self-discipline, can they stick it out when the job gets difficult? Will they fit in with the rest of your team? In the interview, ask them questions about what is important to them, what they value, what they consider a strong work ethic. Ask them what they need in a corporate culture to excel. Ask them about the best place they ever worked and why it was the best, similarly, the worst. Corporate fit can make or break an employee and ignoring this important element may contribute to a wrong hire.

Make sure the person's personal style matches the position you're hiring for, that their SKA's prove they can do the job, and that they will fit with the company's values and ethics. Chances are, if you've paid attention to all three of these categories you'll improve your hiring success ratio and reduce the cost of employee churn. You'll end up with a stronger team, which leads to better retention, and you'll be on your way towards becoming that magnet company.

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Your Customers Come First
How many times have your employees heard this mantra? You bend over backwards to make your customers happy so they'll tell other potential customers how great your business is. Do you do the same with your employees?

When Linda, the single mom on your team asks you whether she can work from home on the days when her children are off school for Professional Development days, do you:
a) if it is feasible, do whatever you can to accommodate her because you understand daycare is expensive
b) say no way - child care is her business not yours
c) say yes but make her feel extremely guilty for doing it
d) if it's not feasible, negotiate a solution that meets both your needs

When Bob asks for an afternoon off to attend a personal development seminar do you:
a) give him the third degree and tell him he's not getting business time to do personal work
b) give him the time but dock his pay
c) validate his efforts for personal development recognizing in the end it will make him a better employee
d) let him know it won't work this time because of the deadlines you're working on, that you may be able to assist next time

You get the point. Employers who want to retain their employees must acknowledge theconcept of work/life balance and value what their employees contribute to the business. After all, you want your employees to talk to other potential employees about how great your business is don't you? That way you'll not only retain the ones you have, but will always have a list of people on hand who want to work for you.

Your Customers Want Options
Generally, businesses sell more than one product, or have variations on a product because they know customers like to choose. Whether it's make, model, colour, quality, price - they want to have choices in the buying process. That's one of the benefits of doing business with you. Ever thought that your employees might want choices too? One of the biggest issues you'll be facing as a business owner in the future, is what is the benefit of working for you? What are you offering your employees that makes you the employer of choice? It could be the benefits package (health and dental), it could be an on-site wellness program, it could be flexible hours or work options, it could be other perks like gym memberships, a box seat at the local stadium where employees can earn tickets to an event, a membership at a local golf course or spa used as a reward system for outstanding performance. I'm hoping you're getting the picture. Many innovative businesses are now offering "cafeteria" style benefits where rather than providing the same blanket benefits for all employees, they are given the option to choose which benefits suit their lifestyle. A 25 year old employee might choose very different benefits than someone in their 50's. Someone who has a family, different than someone who is single. The employer then provides benefits that really do benefit the person who's getting them. While daycare on site is a great benefit to people with kids, it isn't to those without. On-site medical screening might be really valuable to a 40-50 year old employee, but not to someone in their 20's. The point is, be creative about how you can provide options to your employees. In the end, it may be the difference between staying or going somewhere else.

Your Customers Love to Be Surprised
Under promise, over deliver. How many times have you heard that one? It's a key customer retention strategy. Surprise your customers with more than what they expect, and they'll feel like they've won the lottery. Same goes for your employees. Empty promises that never get met suck the wind out of even the best employees. Employers that surprise their employees with unexpected perks make their employees feel valued and important. It doesn't have to be expensive. The cost of bringing in pizza on Friday for lunch is nothing compared to how great it will make your employees feel and the team building it provides. An afternoon off to someone who has shown extraordinary effort or commitment to a big project, tickets to the big game for someone who made a big sale, a manicure certificate for your single mom because you know she can't afford those extras. Rather than stand up and tell your employees how great it is to work for you, show them by doing those thoughtful little extras. Believe me, they'll remember, they'll appreciate, and they'll tell their friends what a great company they work for.

Your Customers Expect You to be Trustworthy
Everyone knows customers want to deal with honest businesses. They want people who will be true to their word, people they can trust to fulfill their promises, who have their best interests at heart, and who do what they say, and say what they do. Employees want that too. They want to know that their employer wants the best for them (and acts that way too). They want to know they can trust their employer to do what he/she says and to follow through with what they've said. It's all about integrity, and employer integrity is a huge consideration when people are choosing where to work. If you are not a trustworthy employer, word will get out and your chances of being a magnet company are gone.

It's a new world, and if you want your business to survive you'd better get used to looking at your employees differently. In the truest sense of the words - they are your customers. Start thinking more like that and you'll come out ahead of other employers who don't, and will attract the best talent to your business.

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