Are Potential Employees Knocking on Your Door?
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now“Wouldn’t you like to be known as the kind of person who brings out the best in others?” is a quote from the book True Colors by Roger Birkman.
In the highly competitive game of trying to hire the best employees you can find, just think of what your company could be like—both culturally and in level of performance—if all your employees were performing at their best. (And if you were known as the manager who helped them get to that level.)
Recently the Indianapolis Star ran a short article on how low the current nationwide unemployment rate has dipped. What happens when the unemployment rate is low (signifying companies are hiring) is that good employees start looking for opportunities. So, I would ask you to look around your company: how many of your employees are “looking”?
Now, if your company is known for bringing out the best in your employees, it leads to a successful corporate culture. Potential employees will seek you out. Your current “best” employees will tell their friends, (other most likely “best “employees) and they’ll want to work for you.
The millennials have gotten a bad rap through the years for being known as employees who like to change jobs every 2-3 years. In many cases this is true, but is it just their “wandering nature” or are they looking for that company that brings out the best in them and where they will feel useful and successful? If you give them what they’re looking for, you’ll get what you’re looking for, and with that feeling of success, they’ll stay. Who, in any generation, would want to leave a company where the manager is helping everyone do his or her best and the culture is one of winners?
Why do the top NCAA football and basketball (both men’s and women’s) sports programs have such an easy time recruiting the nation’s best high school athletes? Because those athletes want to be associated with and give their best to a winning program.
A few years ago I was part-owner in a company and this situation presented itself: I was standing near the front desk and heard the receptionist tell a very successful-looking lady in our lobby that no, we were not accepting applications. When I asked about the statement the receptionist told me human resources had told her to tell that to any applicant who walked in the door. I proceeded to the HR department head and asked why. The manager gave me the “excuse” that we had no current openings and they didn’t want to go through the paperwork hassle of receiving and storing applications. I asked the manager to look around and tell me that all she saw were employees giving their “best.” She agreed there were some employees not working at the level we needed or expected. We then began accepting applications from all candidates. Every company needs to always be looking to “up” the level of the quality of its employees.
So, how do you bring out the best in your employees and develop a culture of winners? It comes down to evaluating your people! Help them reach their highest level of accomplishment. Find their weak areas and assist them; send them to class, buy them a book on the subject, hire them coaches, or find them mentors.
When you turn your employees into winners, your company’s culture will become a winning culture and the best candidates will be knocking on your door.
Mike Hill is an independent consultant and also a speaker and trainer with AccelaWork