Talent acquisition is an on-going problem for most business owners. One of their biggest complaints is – I can’t find good people to work for me. What if they could change that? They can do so by asking and honestly answering a fundamental question, “Why should good people work for me – am I offering them a talent attracting culture or a toxic work environment?”
What is your answer to this question? Is your company’s culture able to attract and keep valuable employees?
Successful talent acquisition requires a strategic approach designed to find the best people to meet your and the business’s goals. It starts with getting rid of a toxic work environment and developing a talent attracting culture.
All employees are not created equal. Most are average, some are very bad, and others are exceptional at what they do. The better than average ones have many opportunities and options. Their skills are mobile, and in today’s job market they are voting with their feet. If your company cannot offer a functional workplace, they will go elsewhere.
Here are three ways to start creating a functional workplace, which will make your talent acquisition easier.
Provide consistent, fair management
Everyone wants to be treated well and fairly. They want consistent, no drama, fair treatment, no favorites management. The number one reason employees leave a company is that they do not like the way they are treated by managers. Yes, the reason is not about money.
No owner is good at everything, like most people they are only really good at a few things. Business owners are notorious for having poor people management skills. The biggest reason most businesses fail is that the owners overestimated their ability to run it.
Develop a positive vision and values
A business’s vision and values promote a certain way of thinking and behaving. Some are toxic and destructive – “This company doesn’t care about work quality, it doesn’t matter what I do, so I’m going to do nothing.” While others are positive and constructive – “Our company does good work, it matters what I do, I don’t want to let my co-workers and customers down.”
Talent acquisition is a matter of finding the kind of employee who needs to work for a company with a clear, positive mission. A person who wants to be part of a workplace which has such a vision and values is more involved, motivated and responsible. Here is what is odd – owners do not think it is important to provide the employees they want to work for them the environment that those employees need to work in.
Promote transparency and trust
Toxic work environments discourage feedback and openness. The owners do not encourage employee’s legitimate complaints or suggestions. They often take feedback as personal criticism, and respond in a justifying, rationalizing defensive manner. When their ideas are ignored employees become distrustful, guarded and give up.
Here is another owner quirk – they say they want workers who are responsible, proactive and self-motivating but do not understand that these types of people require transparency and trust. They want to be involved and know what is going on. They want to work for an owner with the same character traits, one who will welcome and act on feedback to make the company better.
Which brings us back to the original question, “Why should good people work for you? Are you offering them a talent attracting culture or a toxic work environment?” Remember – Leader is a way of behaving, not a title, you have to earn it.
At Cogent Analytics, we never stop looking for ways to improve your business and neither should you. So, check out some of our other posts for helpful business information:
