Developing a culture, and promoting it, is the best way to get and keep talent
As baby boomers retire, the market for skilled and professional employees is going to get tighter and tighter, not only in Canada but around the world. The arena for talent may well become a highest-bidder environment — those who remember the high-tech boom know it won’t be the first time.
As the employment marketplace becomes a battle zone, organizations need to adapt in order to survive.
When asked how, many organizations will trot out the usual responses: aggressive recruiting practices, with on-the-spot interviewing and hiring; using more recruiting resources; looking further afield; and investing both time and money in traditional efforts.
In the short term, it will probably work. But these practices will not attract or sustain the talent needed for long-term success.
So what are employers to do in order to increase their odds?
Rather than focusing on obtaining outside talent, start thinking about retaining the talent already in place. What is important to them? Why are they members of this organization? What are their passions?
Employers need to begin looking inward to see what is important to current key players from both a work and personal perspective. In order to retain their talents, employers need to create a culture that is in part based on employees’ values, that they can be proud to be part of, believe in and, even more importantly, respect.
In order to gain and maintain that elusive advantage for the long term, employers need to dig deeper into the social fabric and build a meaningful, attractive culture — a living reflection of who they are and what they represent as an organization.
This is not a new concept, but it has yet to be embraced properly by many. Sure, the majority of organizations have gone through the exercise of developing mission statements and organizational principles. Unfortunately, most of this has been done in isolation by leadership teams. These principles, without input from key stakeholders, lack organizational passion, loyalty and pride and are often left to dwindle away, never serving as a true representation of the organization.
In order to create a meaningful, attractive culture, and successfully retain talent, employers need to be much more aware of employees and understand them beyond the work environment.
By putting in the effort to really get to know employees, a culture that is based on the values of not only the leaders, but the entire organization, will begin to surface.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Once these values have been established, they need to be nurtured. In order to support and maintain this new corporate identity, all decisions made must relate back to the established principles. Everything touched by the organization should be left with the impression of its overall culture.
Determining which values will define an organization may seem to be a difficult task. The Canadian workforce, after all, consists of varying backgrounds and beliefs.
However, despite that diversity, common ties can usually be found among a group of people working toward the same goal, within the same organization. It may be an environmental movement, a charitable involvement or even an attitude — sharing one or a few common values is what creates that vital team environment.
Creating this value-based environment can not only assist in retention and elevate morale and commitment, but can act as a magnet to draw in like-minded people.
While many of the traditional factors in building a sustainable workforce still apply — competitive salaries, benefit packages and employee-development programs — employers need to get personal. And once they have developed a culture they can stand behind, branding and marketing techniques can show it off to the world.
The organization that understands employees’ values will ultimately win the war for talent by sustaining a solid, fulfilled workforce and, consequently, it will appeal to less satisfied jobseekers.
Rick Filsinger is manager, human resources at The Walter Fedy Partnership in Kitchener, Ont. He can be reached at (519) 576-2150. Meghan Kreller is in business development and communications at The Walter Fedy Partnership. She can be reached at (519) 576-2150.
As the employment marketplace becomes a battle zone, organizations need to adapt in order to survive.
When asked how, many organizations will trot out the usual responses: aggressive recruiting practices, with on-the-spot interviewing and hiring; using more recruiting resources; looking further afield; and investing both time and money in traditional efforts.
In the short term, it will probably work. But these practices will not attract or sustain the talent needed for long-term success.
So what are employers to do in order to increase their odds?
Rather than focusing on obtaining outside talent, start thinking about retaining the talent already in place. What is important to them? Why are they members of this organization? What are their passions?
Employers need to begin looking inward to see what is important to current key players from both a work and personal perspective. In order to retain their talents, employers need to create a culture that is in part based on employees’ values, that they can be proud to be part of, believe in and, even more importantly, respect.
In order to gain and maintain that elusive advantage for the long term, employers need to dig deeper into the social fabric and build a meaningful, attractive culture — a living reflection of who they are and what they represent as an organization.
This is not a new concept, but it has yet to be embraced properly by many. Sure, the majority of organizations have gone through the exercise of developing mission statements and organizational principles. Unfortunately, most of this has been done in isolation by leadership teams. These principles, without input from key stakeholders, lack organizational passion, loyalty and pride and are often left to dwindle away, never serving as a true representation of the organization.
In order to create a meaningful, attractive culture, and successfully retain talent, employers need to be much more aware of employees and understand them beyond the work environment.
By putting in the effort to really get to know employees, a culture that is based on the values of not only the leaders, but the entire organization, will begin to surface.
However, it doesn’t stop there. Once these values have been established, they need to be nurtured. In order to support and maintain this new corporate identity, all decisions made must relate back to the established principles. Everything touched by the organization should be left with the impression of its overall culture.
Determining which values will define an organization may seem to be a difficult task. The Canadian workforce, after all, consists of varying backgrounds and beliefs.
However, despite that diversity, common ties can usually be found among a group of people working toward the same goal, within the same organization. It may be an environmental movement, a charitable involvement or even an attitude — sharing one or a few common values is what creates that vital team environment.
Creating this value-based environment can not only assist in retention and elevate morale and commitment, but can act as a magnet to draw in like-minded people.
While many of the traditional factors in building a sustainable workforce still apply — competitive salaries, benefit packages and employee-development programs — employers need to get personal. And once they have developed a culture they can stand behind, branding and marketing techniques can show it off to the world.
The organization that understands employees’ values will ultimately win the war for talent by sustaining a solid, fulfilled workforce and, consequently, it will appeal to less satisfied jobseekers.
Rick Filsinger is manager, human resources at The Walter Fedy Partnership in Kitchener, Ont. He can be reached at (519) 576-2150. Meghan Kreller is in business development and communications at The Walter Fedy Partnership. She can be reached at (519) 576-2150.
