Solving the recruitment dilemma will always be a challenge in business – turning the problem on its head and doing more with the resources we already have is a great place to start.
Recruitment is an issue in almost every business across all sectors that we work with. With much talk of the cost of living crisis and increasingly levels of inflation we are seeing strong wage inflation with employers using remuneration as a way to attract or retain team members.
If this is the problem, what is the solution? Much has been written about the differences between generations and many businesses have recognised this. Motivation goes beyond money and community impact, wellbeing, flexible working, lifelong learning and culture are just some of the influences when individuals are making job choices. It does no harm to reflect on which of those areas we can do more of, although business managers are often quick to point to the cost of these initiatives, especially when the benefits are less tangible.
As the world has evolved and people’s priorities have changed, employee connection, engagement and wellbeing are more important areas to consider to retain and attract employees. It is as important to understand the training and development need of your team members as well as how we can help to adapt their work life to fit with the way the past few years have impacted and changed their home lives.
We revised our strategy in 2020 and the vision is simple – excellence through investment in people, technology and processes. Since the pandemic uprooted the way we worked it has never been more important to ensure we achieve this vision. Utilising the skills we already have and harnessing the potential of the talented individuals within the firm, we are able to provide relevant and valuable advice that is accessible for our clients. Advice which is supported by utilising powerful software and by giving regular internal training so that all team members feel empowered and ‘match fit’ when it comes to having their advisory interaction with a client.
Our mission; ‘we make your success our priority’, whilst important when working with clients, applies to our staff as well, being that they are our number one asset. Training and development is one key area but flexibility, compassion, fun, and community are also important to ensure a happy and stress-free working environment. The work place, whether it’s in an office, a restaurant, a hotel, or working from home, needs to give the employee a feeling that they are part of a community that is inclusive, supportive and grows together.
So with recruitment being a challenge, reviewing the current skills, processes, customer-base and working environment, then making necessary improvements, will help to retain your key staff, who will be highly motivated and perform their jobs more effectively.
A happy workforce and a stress-free environment will increase productivity, which may then reduce the need to recruit, or word of mouth from your retained workforce may lead to new recruits and help to solve the recruitment dilemma.
Will Abbott heads up the business advisory and coaching team – you can book a free advice clinic to discuss your business needs by contacting Will on 01242 776000 or emailing will.abbott@randall-payne.co.uk.
