Talent Shortage? How to Win With What You've Got
By Vince Thompson
Author of Ignited
If you're starting to feel the pinch of the so-called "talent shortage,"
you're
not alone. Consider these facts:
* 40 percent of employers worldwide are having difficulty filling
positions
due to the lack of suitable talent available in their markets
* According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the shortage of skilled
workers will exceed 10 million by 2010
* 45 percent of workers say they want to change jobs every three to five
years
In light of these facts, smart managers realize they need to retain people
on staff in order to keep the company running. So while under better
cir***stances they might move along those "less spectacular" performers,
they know that in a tight talent market, the key is to effectively work
with
what you have.
Fortunately, you can take steps to help the people on your team do better
and perform to expectations. After all, hiring someone is costly (both in
time and money), and any turnover has a potentially negative impact on the
company. Following is a process that will help you work with your current
staff and gain the competitive advantage in doing so.
Step One: Take a look at yourself
Look at how you're evaluating your team. Many managers who work under, or
who have been influenced by, command and control hierarchies live with the
belief that you should rank your employees and cut those at the bottom.
Ranking may be valuable when people do identical jobs in an identical
environment, such as in call centers or sales organizations with
territories
that have no uniqueness, but the fact is that such environments count for
only a minority of the workplace population. Most people work in
organizations where teams tackle diverse challenges with diverse
solutions.
Therefore, when managers rank people, their perception of each individual
is
often blurred by a lack of clear criteria or the potential to play
favorites.
Getting great performance from your team is about working with
individuals.
Therefore, you need to look at each individual on staff and ask yourself,
"Is this person doing what I expect of him or her?" Then clarify what your
expectations are for someone. If that person isn't meeting your
expectations, how are you communicating your expectations? Often, managers
communicate a lot with their best players, but when it comes to the
marginal
performers, they communicate less often and in a less meaningful way.
It's been said that we hire people for what they are and fire them for who
they are. That is we hire someone because he is a Harvard graduate who
worked at the top advertising agency in NYC, but we fire him because he
was
a dishonest jerk who didn't respect people. Therefore, most of our
dissatisfaction is not with what people are but with who they are. And
when
we deal with the "who" side of the equation, we often find that the
dissatisfaction stems from a general lack of communication of expectations
from the manager, not the employee. In other words, we've set the job
specs
but we've failed to talk about how we expect our people to treat each
other
and our customers.
Step Two: Take a look at them
Are the people on your team committed or compliant? Here's the difference:
You give Person A and Person B each a package to deliver to a key
prospect.
Person A takes the package to the prospect's office, leaves it with the
receptionist, and then heads back to work. Person B takes the package to
the
prospect's office, waits in the lobby to meet the prospect personally, and
spends time talking with the prospect to answer any additional questions.
Person A is compliant-she did what she was told (delivered the package to
the prospect's office) and nothing more. Person B is committed-she did
what
she was told, and then went a step further to win big for the company.
So again, are the people on your team committed or compliant?
If someone on your team is committed and still not performing to your
expectations, then you need to talk with the person and learn where his or
her commitment is. Is it to the team? To you? To the company? To personal
success? Maybe he's committed to the team but not to the company. If so,
you
need to show him how what he's doing impacts the team. Understand what
each
employee is committed to and communicate your expectations in relation to
that individual commitment.
If someone on your team is merely compliant, then you need to uncover why.
Is the mindset tem****ary due to some challenges at home? Is it a lack of
passion for the work? Are his or her motivations misaligned?
If you can't move someone toward commitment, then that's the first person
you have to consider firing. Realize, though, that firing can be mutually
beneficial-and needs to be in a tight talent market. The fact is that it
can
take several months to find a replacement. Therefore, it's better to tell
that person, "You're not enjoying your job, and it's obvious this isn't a
good fit. So let's agree that we're on a path here for me to find someone
to
replace you and for you to find employment elsewhere. As long as you
commit
to doing your daily work during this time, I'm committed to figuring this
out with you." Managers who take this approach find that it works out
well.
The employee who isn't a fit appreciates the honesty and the time to find
new work. The company appreciates having the coverage it needs to meet
deadlines and goals. The key is being honest, communicating openly, and
building trust to make it all work.
Step Three: Develop a new plan
Finally, for each employee, you need to create a plan that will help that
person move forward to the level of performance desired. Your plan needs
to
include the following:
* Communication: Communication is the pathway to trust. Therefore, you
need
to find ways to communicate more frequently so your team trusts you and
wants to perform for you. To do so, hold regular mini-meetings that
emphasize face-to-face interaction. So many workers don't personally
interact with their boss anymore. They communicate solely by email, even
though the boss is just down the hall. Remember, as Zig Ziglar so
profoundly
said, "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you
care." Communication equals caring.
* Expectations: What do you expect of your employees? Is it realistic?
Does
the team member have the time or skills to meet that expectation? What can
you do to sup****t the employee and prioritize the expectations?
* Motivations: What's the reward to the employee for meeting the
expectation? For some, the reward may be the satisfaction of a job well
dome, while for others the reward may be something tangible, such as a
bonus
or time off with pay. In order to motivate people, help them see value in
their work by explaining how the project impacts the company or the
industry.
* Assistance: How can you help your staff? Maybe it means being a mentor
or
taking a piece of the workload. Maybe it's just guiding the group. If you
have a low-performing employee, then you need to actively coach that
person
to be more successful.
Maximize the Talent You Have
Realize that this process isn't a one-time quick-fix. You'll need to
invest
the time in these steps on a regular basis in order to see results. When
you
do, not only will you gain a much deeper understanding of your team, but
you
will also find some surprises. Some of your lost "causes" will take on new
value, and for those who don't, you'll experience a lot less stress as you
move them along, knowing that you gave it your all. In a market this tight
you can be assured your competitors are facing the same issues; getting
this
right can give you a real competitive advantage.
Vince Thompson, a former executive for AOL, is a principal at Middle****ft,
a
consulting company focused on creating revenue for Internet businesses by
empowering those in the middle and super-serving customers. His book,
Ignited: Managers, Light up Your Career for More Power, More Purpose, and
More Success will be available on FT Press in March 2007. Register for
exclusive content and updates at www.BeIgnited.com
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