I have already written several times about personnel work. Today I would like to broaden the gap and build a bridge to corporate strategy. In my opinion, this should be much more important than usual when looking for personnel. You can find out why in this blog post.
When employees retire or quit, the company grows and more people are needed — at the latest, it is time to think about HR work again. Because in view of the shortage of specialists and workers described time and again, job advertisements are not enough.
Of course, you don't have a crystal ball, but some future trends are foreseeable. This is how the Boomers retire — and you can consider which key skills you might soon be deficient in. Perhaps there are employees in your company who could close foreseeable gaps, but you don't think of them spontaneously. This means discovering potential — a topic I already wrote about in 2016.
If you are looking for personnel, consider how long you expect to fill the corresponding position. In some industries, machines, robots, digitized processes or artificial intelligence will make one or the other position obsolete. If you take this into account, you can start looking for employees today who have the skills for tomorrow — or drive forward investments in modernization.
The frequently mentioned shortage of skilled workers primarily affects so-called STEM occupations and occupations in the healthcare sector. This is where the gap between the number of vacancies and applicants widens the widest. Skilled workers from abroad can fill gaps. But employees from which countries are most suitable for your sector and business segment? How significant are the respective educational qualifications? Who can help you find qualified personnel directly on site? This is where it is worthwhile to do more intensive research.
But other models of thought are also possible. Assume that a specific qualification is only required for a definable period of time: What's the case against handing this job out, for example to freelancers, startups or scale-ups who have these skills? Or to (pre) retired professionals who can contribute these qualifications. Many people want to remain professionally active even after retirement and can take on appropriate projects or train new staff in a qualified manner.
Motivated employees are the most important resource that companies have. But that often doesn't seem to be far off. There are currently more reports in the media about Quiet Quitting — i.e. not quitting, but only doing what is contractually agreed and no more handshakes. From my point of view, this is a resignation that does not move companies or professionals forward.
I like it better”Quiet Thriving“, which, as an alternative, encourages people to find the positive in a job. If this thinking prevails, a great deal would already be gained: According to my experience, more appreciation and praise alone leads to less staff turnover. On the one hand, you need committed managers who are passionate about the cause and who can inspire their teams. It is worthwhile for these employees to invest in training and coaching. On the other hand, you can offer continuing education to all employees and thus express your appreciation.
Would you like to reflect on the interplay of your corporate strategy and personnel planning and need a critical view from outside? In an initial consultation — free of charge for you — we can talk about your situation online for 45 minutes. For more information about my new hybrid consulting offering, visit mypeople-and-results.
