On Sept. 6 I attended the Job Fair at the Capri Hotel.
There were over 100 employers set up in the trade show area, with several companies lined up hoping space would become available. The consensus was that the quality of 1,600 to 1,800 applicants that attended was quite good.
The unemployment rate in the Red Deer area is approximately four per cent. Companies are struggling to fill vacancies for skilled workers, especially in the oil and gas sector.
My sources say that there are companies out there looking for 500 employees each. I know of one company that has close to 40 rigs; only 20 are staffed.
Several of the larger oil and gas companies have HR departments that are tasked with getting qualified staff. Small to medium-sized companies don’t have these resources. They usually have a payroll/bookkeeper, with the other staffing responsibilities covered by the owners and managers.
Big or small, one of the most frequent issues I hear about is how difficult it is to find qualified, competent help. I understand that the available labour pool is very shallow in the Red Deer area. That being said, small business needs to focus their attention on the basics in order to become a magnet for top talent and teamwork.
Many owners believe that their problems would be solved, if only they had more capable and enthusiastic employees who were invested in the growth of the business. They are looking for individuals that possess a sense of pride, responsibility and motivation.
I’ve heard complaints about sales people who don’t behave in a professional manner, yet wonder what orientation or training procedures exist for new hires.
Then there are the rumblings that revenues and profits would increase if only employees could be more productive and make fewer mistakes. Further examination might reveal very few systems are in place to help minimize human error or maximize efficiency.
Why won’t the best people assume a greater leadership role and shoulder more responsibility?
This issue often falls squarely on the owner/manager’s shoulders. Experience suggests that this business doesn’t have the basic framework, therefore employers micro-manage every detail and refuse to delegate.
It’s said that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. In the examples noted above, the weakest link is not the employee, but management.
Let’s examine the issues more closely.
Vision, mission and culture statements
Truly successful business owners know the power of well-defined vision, mission and culture statements.
Look at the root of the problem. Ineffective teamwork is frequently a symptom of outdated business planning that forms the basic framework of the company. These three statements drive your business.
Job description with key performance indicators
Finding the right person starts with a clearly defined, results-based job description for the role.
This simple, yet important, document ensures that both the employee and employer won’t end up disappointed and disillusioned. If there are no clear guidelines, it’s that much harder to do the job correctly and to meet expectations.
Recruitment and hiring
Create a system of key activities and questions that will test your candidate’s knowledge and their abilities. Systemize this process so you can deliver it consistently and accurately to be sure you’re comparing candidates equally. Provide enough information to challenge potential candidates to “de-select” themselves. And always check references.
Orientation and training
Most companies have little or no orientation process. A new employee is taken around to meet other team members, with a quick explanation of what they do, and that’s about it.
A solid orientation process should take a minimum of two to three days (longer in some cases). A mentor must be assigned to each new employee to assist with the training process and be the go-to person to answer any questions or concerns. Effective training and/or procedure manuals, including photos and videos tapes are very beneficial.
Systems
Systems empower people to confidently make decisions based on predefined parameters. Systems streamline business processes; whether administrative, sales and marketing, or processing inventory. And, systems significantly reduce the “blame game.” If a mistake is made and the system is being followed, then it’s time to update the system.
Until business owners acknowledge their accountability for the teams they create, the status quo remains. It takes time and planning, but implementing these five keys areas will help any business build a solid team from the ground up.
ActionCoach is written by John MacKenzie of ActionCoach, which helps small- to medium-sized businesses and other organizations. He can be contacted at johnmackenzie@actioncoach.com or by phone at 403-340-0880.