Finding and keeping good employees is one of the most fundamental aspects of growing a business. Yet, it is one of the most daunting hurdles for self-starters. If you expect your business to grow then you cannot carry the entire operation on your back forever.
Every person in the workforce understands that prospering businesses need happy and well-trained employees to function. Then why is it so hard to find hard working and qualified individuals?
Some self-starters have trouble relinquishing control. Hey we get it! Your way is the right way and no one can do it as well as you! While that may be true, if you’re used to doing everything yourself or have trouble working with, or training, others it will be hard to find trainees that want to stick around, much less, qualified professionals.
To combat the do-it-yourself mentality, start with letting go of a little bit at a time. Outsource a small task that can easily be done by another company or person. For example, if your business involves mailing out packages, find a mailing service that will do door pick up, instead of driving to the post office.
Maybe work out a deal with a partner that you respect and trust to share load with.
If a partnership is not your cup of tea then try starting with one helper or apprentice to assist and shadow you. After days and days on the job, a good helper will become a trained assistant.
You may have to search far and wide for motivated and trustworthy candidates.
When it comes to seeking out potential team members, many business owners don’t even know where to look. When they do look they find themselves sifting through under qualified, or unmotivated possibilities. For some reason the most qualified laborers are already employed. Go figure! However, that points to the need for competitive wages and a good working environment- which we will discuss later. When it comes to seeking employees there are a few different avenues to use. If you are looking for unskilled labor then advertisements and Facebook posts may suffice. You will have a much lower turnover rate if you create a positive and desirable workplace.
If the position you are trying to fill requires experience in a specific field, then making a post on Facebook may not be enough. It may be in your best interest to go through a staffing agency.
You have to pay for professionals
Good quality help to expensive, but worth it. You will deal with less stress in the short-term and reap more profits in the long run by paying professionals more wages, rather than paying an undertrained person that will be less efficient.
After the mass career burnout that occurred from the quarantines and shutdowns in 2020, employees are less willing to give up their lives for work. With the employers struggling to staff their operations, many began offering more benefits and better pay. In that bribe for help, labor has become more expensive and employing well trained people has become even more competitive.The epidemic moved many people to reevaluate their priorities and work, rightly so, got pushed down a few spots on the list. Employees want more flexible hours so that they can pursue hobbies and side hustles, or whatever brings them joy. Workers with families want shorter days, more benefits, and remote positions so that they can work from wherever their kids are.
In our current economy it is more important than ever to treat your employees fairly, with dignity, and respect. It’s gravely important that, while you may demand excellence, you realize that people aren’t perfect and that mistakes will be made. Instead of reprimanding or being condescending, search for solutions that will help you, and the one who made the mistake.
It’s also important to remember that your passion may not be someone else’s. Your number one priority may be the company you build with your bare hands. Chances are that your employees, while they may love their job, may place family, friends, etc., above their position.
