At HRwisdom, we regularly recommend to our free subscribers that they actively plan ahead to improve employee retention and today’s blog post is some further food for thought. By actively planning ahead you’ll not only decrease staff turnover, you also:

• Recruit better quality people who actually do what they say they will do.
• Expand your pipeline of good employee candidates.
• Improve employee morale.
• Boost management confidence.
• Increase in business efficiency and profitability.
• Raise your reputation in the marketplace.

So today we draw your attention to some interesting thoughts from Kevin Wheeler’s  online comments (part 1) where he asks the question: Does Our Own Mindset Cause the Talent Shortage?

Remember, for instantly downloadable employee retention support, click on the following toolkit code: retention employee.

Kevin Wheeler: Does Our Own Mindset Cause the Talent Shortage?

Even in this recession, everyone I speak with is moaning about not being able to find the quality candidates they think they need. Maybe they have caused their own problem by narrowly defining jobs, by using yesterday’s criteria to solve today’s problems, and by a lack of imagination.

We (hiring managers, executives, HR folks, and recruiters) set up expectations and define jobs based on what is traditional. We work from habit and past experience. This is not necessarily bad, but may not match our current needs or the available supply.

Some of us say that we cannot find qualified C# programmers, for example, when we all know that there are very few people with good skills in this area. We are left with choices: hunt like crazy on the Internet and elsewhere to find someone we can influence to leave their current position, wait to find a disgruntled one, or decide to do something different. Something different might be to rethink the job entirely so that it more closely matches someone we already know is available. It might be to increase the supply by developing training programs or taking on apprentices. It might be to merge the job with another one. There are lots of possibilities beyond just doing what we have always done.

Access Code: Retention Employee

Many emerging jobs require a new perspective, rather than an entirely new skill set. An interior designer could easily do the new job of home stager — someone who decorates your house prior to selling it — but for a much lower price. Many skills for jobs in the healthcare arena can be learned quickly, but are all based on a common set of skills around patient care, communication, and appreciation for and understanding of technology. The real challenge is perspective, attitude, and sometimes the willingness to work for less.

Toolkit Code: Retention Employee

As always, HRwisdom has world class support instantly available to you to help you retain employees. To retain good employees, click on the following access code: retention employee.

Kind regards,

HRwisdom Support