My daughter couldn’t go swimming in the lake at our recent Catskills vacation because no lifeguard was on duty.
Our passport renewal appointment was cancelled because, again, there wasn’t adequate staffing on a Saturday.
Lastly, self-checkout kiosks outnumber staffed cash registers at my local CVS and Acme.
We all know there is a staffing crisis – the key is how to entice employees to work or remain working in a way that is fulfilling both for their pockets and for their soul. Fulfilling the soul of employees requires the employer to have an intentional plan for engagement and here are a few things to consider:
1) Measure productivity, not hours worked (for salaried employees) – I don’t know many people that are at their absolute best all day from 9-5. Some of us are morning people. Some of us work best at night. Some of us may work 12 hours one day and only 4 the next. By allowing employees to structure their non-meeting worktime around when they work best, and what works best for their family, rather than during the confines of traditional work hours, will build trust and add value.
2) Create an entrance and ongoing employment survey – Do you really know how your employees feel about coming to work? Ask them! While exit surveys are common, it is helpful to proactively assess job satisfaction and what motivates someone for staying and working hard.
3) Promote inclusive practices – For larger organizations, create Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) which bring together like-minded employees and organically provide support to diverse team members. Race, sexual orientation, spirituality and parenting are common ERGs.
4) Create an internal mantra – Does your organization have internal messaging that all team members live by? If not, assemble a focus group of diverse employees and bring in an expert (like me) to facilitate a session where everyone comes together to create a customer-minded mantra. It will be proudly unveiled at an upcoming team meeting.
5) Team bonding and building – In addition to the company holiday party, proactively build in “paid” opportunities for the team to come together for team building exercises, charity work, professional development, etc. Investing in your employees is not only the right thing to do but it creates a pipeline for a sustainable career rather than just collecting a paycheck.