Think Differently to Beat the Skills Shortage

… most job postings these days, especially in the tech world, sound pretty boring. Many potential candidates might not respond to this kind of posting, but they might be right candidates for your organization. We use compelling marketing statements for key positions instead of the traditionally boring job postings. A compelling market statement might look something like: Are you the kind of person that can fix anything with a piece of gum and a paper clip? Well, we are looking for you — that special senior network engineer who is resourceful enough to solve any network issue with limited time and nothing more than a screwdriver. If you are MacGyver, you must love being challenged. You must love solving the most complex problems that everyone else has given up on. You must work well under pressure and do so without breaking a sweat.

Retaining key resources within your company is essential to your long-term success and I believe that culture has the single biggest impact on employee retention. When building a healthy and vibrant culture, we must instill a sense of purpose and meaning into the work we do — we must give it meaning. When you give your employees purpose it becomes their brand, what they are driven to achieve, the magic that makes them tick. It is no longer what they do, it’s how they do their job and why — the strengths and passions they bring to the table. When you give employees purpose, they are less likely to look for new opportunities.

CP: Is retaining the talent you already have just as important and as big of a challenge as attracting new talent? If so, what are some of the most effective ways to retain talent?

TH: I think retaining high-quality talent is more important and more challenging than attracting new talent. Of course, competitive wages and benefits are a table-stakes requirement to retain talent. But beyond compensation, cultivating a culture is a key ingredient in a long-term retention strategy. Employees are more likely to stay longer with organizations that have a strong, healthy, vibrant culture. Second, there must be a cultural alignment or fit between the employee and the company. So let’s hope you hired the right employee for your culture. And last, make investments in your employees. Invest in their careers, education and advancement. Employees stay with companies that invest in their personal growth.

CP: What do you hope those who attend your presentation learn and take with them?

TH: Talent and skill shortages will be the biggest challenges facing most organizations during the next decade. Along with this shortage, the cost of talent is expected to rise at an alarming rate. I am hoping that Evolution conference attendees will gain a new perspective and insight on how to deal with the talent wars we are facing. Second, they will learn several “outside the box” actionable tactics for immediate implementation. And last, we will explore long–term strategies that will take today’s challenges and convert them into tomorrow’s competitive advantages.