Leading in a Tough Labour Market

Our guest author this week is Cameron Keller, a Professional Certified Coach with the International Coach Federation, and Principal at Kaleidoscope Training and Consulting.

I am typing this as I sit on a plane heading back home to Vancouver from Toronto. Just about 15 minutes ago I overheard a conversation between a woman and her seatmate. The woman was likely not far from retirement age and explained to her seatmate that she can work from anywhere. She went on to explain that she hadn’t planned on still working, but as long as she can work remotely, she’ll keep working because she enjoys it.

We’ve all had those conversations in the last couple of years where we find people reflecting on how different life is, if remote work is an option. This will be relevant further down in this article.

Over and repeatedly these days I have conversations with clients about the challenges in the labour market. Who could have ever predicted that in 2022 we’d have 1.95 jobs available for every unemployed worker in Canada? We knew that this was coming, but most of us didn’t expect this reality for at least another 7 – 10 years. Things have changed rapidly.

This reality has all kinds of implications. My clients face a few significant challenges with this. Beyond the obvious of being able to recruit workers, retention has become an issue. It just seems that people are willing to jump ship, often with little notice – as something seems more attractive elsewhere. Additionally, many company and agency recruiters are finding they are forced to lower the bar when it comes to the quality of individuals. We love to say we are only going to hire A players, but how realistic is that? Many of my client companies are finding they are settling for B players in hopes that they can support them to become A players down the road.

So how do we address this problem? This problem of not enough workers and having to compete with other employers for people’s services. Just last month I was in Maui and I saw a sign advertising a $1,000 signing bonus to work at a small convenience store / gas bar. Is the answer that we simply must find a way to pay higher? Is it all about the paycheque?

Although it is partly true that the “highest offer” may be what gets someone through your employment door, I can promise that pay alone is not what will keep them. I suggest there are three critical things that employers need to consider if they want to recruit and retain good talent. These are: Employee Engagement, Health and Wellness, and Standing for Something.

Engagement

Employees, particularly the younger generation, long to feel like more than just an employee. The world of work is no longer just something we do, it’s something we are. I am not trying to suggest that our work entirely defines who we are, but it is certainly beyond just a job. People have a wired-in need as mammals to belong. As people become more and more isolated in life as a result of social media, the pandemic, and other factors which make connecting with others in meaningful ways more difficult, they want to belong at work.

If you want to keep employees, you need to promote employee engagement. That is done by supporting individuals to contribute in meaningful ways to decisions that impact them, through to the overall direction of the business. Clearly, you must give direction and sometimes you have to be prescriptive. However, if you can find ways to allow workers to have power over some decision-making, even if it’s how they go about prioritizing their tasks in a given day, it makes a huge difference for the worker and how they feel about their value. Employees also really appreciate being informed regarding the overall direction of the company, as well as its strategy and what sets it apart. They also appreciate knowing if the company is being successful or not, and yes, that includes being aware of profitability. A lot of business owners don’t want to share financial metrics with people, as they want to hide the fact that they are so profitable if in fact, they are. This is a mistake.

People on your team want you to be successful, and letting them know where there is success, including in profitability, helps them become more engaged. Business owners fear that if their workers know they are so profitable they will demand more money. That simply does not play out. If individuals are compensated, they are seldom greedy. If you can find ways to reward your workforce for overall profitability, it makes a big difference as well.

Pay attention to Health and Wellness

These days, there are so many pressures on individuals which are contributing to much more complexity in life. People are finding it more and more challenging to manage things like anxiety and mood problems. Moreover, relationships have become so much more complex through the pandemic, etc. Gone are the days when an employer can say, “leave your personal stuff at home and don’t bring it to work.” In fact, the research tells us this is impossible. You as an employer have both an opportunity and a responsibility to offer a level of support to your employees.

I am not saying that all of a person’s personal problems and issues become your problems and issues. However, if and as you do pay attention to overall health and wellness, you will get a great return. Sometimes this takes the form of flexible work arrangements…other times it’s providing support for employees who have challenging parenting or marital situations that create limitations. It can also take the form of being sure that your employee benefits allow people to access the support of paramedical professionals to help with physical and mental health promotion.

Workplaces that provide a high level of social support contribute to the health and wellness of their employees. A culture of support, where the human side of the organization is held with high importance and people feel valued as individuals first and foremost, leads to greater retention and productivity. Leaders have a role to play in creating and maintaining this culture, through how they take time to focus on individuals and show genuine support and care for their overall wellness.

Stand for Something

Sometimes it can be hard to articulate a higher-level purpose to our business beyond the obvious of trying to make money. As hard as it is though, it is always possible. It is possible to create a purpose statement that well describes what your business is doing to contribute positive outcomes beyond just the business. Moreover, it is important that your workplace stand for something. This can be a social justice issue, supporting a not-for-profit, or being a voice in community for something that makes a difference.

The worker of today wants to be part of something that has meaning. The younger worker in particular thinks a lot about social justice issues, the environment, etc. What does your workplace/company stand for? What are you actively doing to create meaningful change in the world, even if it has absolutely no connection to the kind of actual work your business does? I have many client examples where a company is actively doing something of meaning in the community that has nothing to do with the actual business, but employees rally around it.

If you haven’t found a cause or a way to contribute above and beyond where you are actively involved as a company in supporting something, it’s time to get on it!

Call to Action

It may be that you are doing a good or great job in one or more of these three critical areas. However, chances are there is room for continued improvement. Perhaps undertake a staff survey related to these areas to see how your workforce feels about these issues. Through the survey, you can find out what is most important to them, as well as what their perceptions are regarding how your company is actually doing in these areas. Create a plan to move the needle forward in meaningful ways.

Remember the woman on the airplane? Think of how her employer is benefiting by being able to keep her employed through the way they are honoring her wellness through flexibility. It makes a difference!

Cameron Keller www.vancouverexecutivecoaching.ca is a Professionally Certified Coach who works individual with executives and leadership teams. He has walked the walk of the executive world himself and knows what it’s like to carry large scale responsibility for national initiatives. Cameron specializes in creating healthy workplaces and fully aligned executive leadership teams. He is an expert in working with businesses to develop and execute on industry leading strategies.

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