As the COVID-19 pandemic reset reality and created massive amounts of uncertainty, employees across the U.S. hunkered down. The goal was simple: Hold onto the job you have.
But trends can quickly turn, and they have. Around 4 million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Resignations peaked in April and have remained abnormally high for the past several months, with a record 10.9 million open jobs at the end of July.
2021 is known as the “Great Resignation,” says Twyla Stevens, director of human resources at the Carthage System. This has made recruiting interesting as many people are looking for new opportunities on this side of the pandemic.
“Every morning on the news, you hear people saying, ‘I’m not going to go back to work unless ...’” she says. “The driver’s wheel has really been placed back into the employee’s hands.”
THE PATH FORWARD
But you still need a team of people. Where do we go from here? Richard Hadden, a leadership consultant at Con-tented Cow Partners, says the businesses that have seen top results in the past two years have:
- Adapted their business to make the best use of the available talent.
- Resisted views in the rearview mirror, pining for what used to be.
- Talked openly with everyone about what’s going to work best, for them and for the company.
- Relied heavily on the input of the people they need to do the work.
- Communicated, with unprecedented clarity and empathy, what decisions are being made and why.
“You have a choice: Adapt and evolve or drive a stake in the ground,” Hadden says. “The adapters usually come out ahead.”
Develop A People Strategy
Twyla Stevens, with the Carthage System, offers these steps to help operations develop a people strategy.
Talent Acquisition: Define your roles. Then determine how to best attract and identify potential candidates. Keep in mind your best candidates will be both national and international candidates.
Skills Training: Spend time reflecting on what skill sets your team needs to be successful. Then implement training to build the team’s confidence.
Leadership Development: Leadership is the bridge that fills any skills gap. Focus on the habits you want to reward and recognize.
Performance Management: Determine how you will reward behaviors you want replicated. Don’t just evaluate performance once a year. If you only talk to employees once a year, you’ve missed the boat.
Engagement: A top-performing team is created when you not only have an employee’s mind but also their heart.
