If you’ve tried to hire recently, you would have noticed that finding staff is more challenging than in the past. In my mind, there’s no doubt that the landscape has changed; I see fewer applicants for some roles, and there is a definite skills shortage in some areas. Some talk about the great resignation, but I’m not so worried about what people say or talk about because all of that is external noise to me. To be successful, you need to take complete responsibility as the business owner.
Finding staff begins with being responsible as the business owner
Ashkan Tashvir, the creator of the Being Framework™, describes responsibility as:
“… being the primary cause of the matters in your life, regardless of their source. It is the extent to which you choose to respond rather than react to them. Responsibility is distinguished by how you honour the autonomy that you have as a human being and is considered the power to influence the affairs, outcomes and consequences you are faced with. Responsibility is not about blaming or determining whose fault it is. Instead, it is to intentionally choose, own, cause and bring about outcomes that matter, work and produce results while also being answerable for the impact and consequences.”
In my recent article, Hiring the right staff and setting them up for success, I state that you first need to “authentically look within your business”. This is because, as a business owner, you may not be able to control the economy or market conditions. However, what you can control and be responsible for is your business. In this case, creating a business that people actually want to work for is a way to be responsible and influence your ability to attract a great team.
9 ways to create a business people want to work for
Below is a list of the key points that, through my extensive work with over 200 businesses and teams, I have observed make a business attractive to potential high-performing team members.
The culture: This is a big one that I feel many business owners pay lip service to without fully grasping what good culture is or how they must be in order to create it. My advice to you is to decide what culture you would like to have, survey your existing staff to see if this is, in fact, the culture that exists and then work on it every minute of every day. Your culture directly results from every action you take and every word you say as a leader.
People feeling valued: People want to work where they feel seen and heard, somewhere they know they are both being valued and delivering value. If people feel valued for what they do and bring to their roles, they will stay longer, be more productive and ultimately be happier. It is important to make each and every member of your team feel valued.
Clear progression: People, especially high performers, naturally want to know that there is room for growth within an organisation. Therefore, it is important to convey that your business offers a clear path of progression for them.
Feedback: High performers not only want to know that they are doing a good job; they also want to know how they could perform better. You need to have a systematic way of giving feedback to your team: a robust review process would be ideal for this.
Organisation: Are you organised and set up to ensure every new team member excels in their role? High performers regard being organised as a desirable feature in a business. No one wants to work in a business where it is difficult to do your job because of poor organisation or systemisation.
Leadership: Are you a great leader that people want to be around? People want to work with inspirational leaders, people they can learn from and grow with. If you want to attract the best, you need to be the best. It is essential to work on your leadership skills and ensure they meet the required standard.
Communication: Does your business have open and honest lines of communication? Is it easy to communicate within the team and get what you need?
Purpose and vision: What is the purpose of your business? Why do you exist? What is your vision for the business? People want to feel like they are part of something bigger, and most want to work in a job that sets their souls on fire. You must communicate your purpose and vision to the world to attract the best people and create the most effective team.
Values: People want to work in organisations that are a ‘value fit’ for them. No one wants to work in a place where they are made to feel like they are compromising their integrity. For this reason, you must know your values, communicate them to the world, and work by them daily.
How do you attract the best people?
Over the years, I have worked with business owners who take varying degrees of responsibility for how their businesses present to the world. There have been those that take very little, those that take a reasonable amount, and those that strive to take full responsibility.
Last week, I spoke with an old client, a builder, who I supported in setting up all of their systems, processes and policies. This particular client has worked hard on their business in the last few years; they’ve taken great care to create a business that ticks everything in the list above. I asked him how he was going with staff and if he was having issues finding anyone, and the answer was no. He went on to explain that he believes it’s because of all the work that he and his wife have put into the business over the last few years; he believes that he has created an organisation for which the best people want to work. It was music to my ears because many of my other clients who are earlier on in the journey of transforming their businesses are finding it hard to attract people right now.
Responsibility equals success
The more responsibility you take as a business owner over your business, the more success you will have. Be responsible for creating a business that people actually want to work for, and the hiring process will become easier as you become more effective at the process.
There is no quick fix to attract the best people. You can’t just click your fingers and have these things working within your business immediately. It takes time, effort and energy, as you are literally changing how you and your business are being and presenting to the world. If you’re unsure where to begin and would like some support, I invite you to reach out. I have supported multiple business owners to take responsibility for finding and attracting the best people and becoming an inviting place for skilled team members to further their careers.
