Duane Hicks
With a reported labour shortage in Rainy River District, strategies to recruit, retain, and motivate employees is more crucial than ever.
And one of the keys to luring new blood to your business is to show you’ve got “swagger,” said customer service activist Roy Prevost.
“Whatever your business is, if you can say ‘I’m one of the best there is’–without being a jerk about it–that’s one of the best ways you’re going to recruit the right people for your business,” Prevost said during a workshop presented by the Rainy River Future Development Corp. last Thursday evening at the Copper River Inn here.
“I’m telling you now: gone are the days of flying under the radar and even though everybody knows you’re good, not professing it,” he added.
Prevost said the beauty of making such a claim is you cannot say it and lie about it–you’ve got to live up to it.
This includes telling a prospective employee your business’ story, including your trials and tribulations, your involvement in the community, and your core values.
If your business is not involved in the community or doesn’t have core values, change that, stressed Prevost. And once you develop those core values, follow them (i.e., walk the talk).
Prevost stressed the first core value should be to “make a difference in your employee’s life.”
When it comes to recruiting, Prevost also urged employers to sell their community to potential employees, especially young people, living elsewhere.
“You have a wonderful community–it will work for you,” he remarked.
Prevost noted the number of “millennials” now have surpassed “baby-boomers” in the workplace, and their work ethic is different with more of a focus on lifestyle.
He added Fort Frances and the surrounding district provides younger people with a place to settle down, start a family, and enjoy lower real estate prices and far briefer commute times than big cities.
Where one runs their business from matters less and less in an increasingly online world.
“You’re now looking at people who can come to a community like this, work their small business from within the community, have all of the advantages of community living, and live a very good lifestyle,” Prevost said.
“If I were you, I’d have a mantra: if you want to be a big fish in a small pond, come to Fort Frances,” he added.
“You’ve got to be creative about how you approach this.”
Prevost also noted the old ways of getting employees–through newspaper ads or help wanted signs–don’t work because only local people will see them.
Rather, he urged employers to “cast a wider net,” using online resources as well as local resources like NCDS and Shooniyaa Wa-Biitong.
Poaching employees from other businesses always is an option, too.
Prevost said if you’re looking for key people, always keep an eye out for them whenever you go. Even if the employee is not in the same business as yours, skills such as customer service can be transferable across sectors.
“I’m a big believer in poaching employees if they’re not happy elsewhere,” said Prevost, noting incentives like more pay and benefits can lure them away.
It also helps to get creative. This could range from appealing to retirees who are bored sitting at home to providing bonuses to employees who can get their friends and relatives who share a similar good work ethic to join them at your business.
Other options include job sharing and outsourcing non-essential jobs (like website maintenance).
When it comes to motivating employees, Prevost said employers must recognize what type of “brilliance” their employees bring to the workplace.
“Whoever you have working with you, try to identify what their brilliance is and play to that and keep away from their weaknesses–unless their weaknesses are a deterrent to the company,” he stressed.
“So in future, when you’re hiring people, find out what their brilliance is,” said Prevost. “They may know it, but they be Canadian and not accept it, or they may be Canadian and not even want to talk about it.
“But point that out to them, and see how quickly that drives their attention and cements that relationship you want to have with them.”
Another tip is to treat employees like professionals and tell them you expect great things from them.
All jobs have bad aspects to them, but being a professional is not in doing what one likes to do but liking what one has to do, reasoned Prevost.
A professional is someone who can be his/her best even when he/she doesn’t feel like it.
Prevost also warned employers not to hesitate to let their employees how important they are, or in other words, “Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to dig your well.”
“This town is particularly vulnerable,” he remarked. “You lose a quality, first-class employee, you may never, ever get another one like them.”
If an employee informs you they’re quitting and tell you why, your response is, “If I’d only known that’s what it needed, I would have done it.”
When it comes to retaining employees, employers must be proactive.
“You say to your people: you are one of my key people, I do not ever want to lose you, and if you get an offer, please come to me before you accept [it],” said Prevost.
He urged employers to ask employees about hobbies, outside interests, and discuss “workplace boredom.”
“Some jobs are dead-end jobs–there’s nowhere for them to go, they can’t get promoted, they can’t get a lot of stimulation from their job,” said Prevost.
When employees leave, not only do you lose their skills and experience, but there’s a financial cost–advertising, time spent interviewing, orientation and training, possibly higher salary costs, and lower productivity until a replacement is found and the new employee is brought up to speed.
Some frustrated employees could do worse than leave; they could quit and stay (some people hang in with jobs because they’re there).
If an employer notices something positive an employee does, recognize it, say something, and/or do something, Prevost stressed, adding it doesn’t have to be a monetary reward.
A business could take out a full-page ad with their employees photos on it, showing their appreciation.
Sometimes a simple “thank you” will do, although movie tickets, gift certificates, and even a celebratory cake never hurt.
“Recognition is everything,” said Prevost.
Employers also must find out what matters to their employees, and ask for their suggestions.
Maybe they want a more flexible schedule or maybe they’d consider job sharing, Prevost suggested.
Find which communication channels work best with each employee and use it. For example, a “millennial” might respond more quickly to a text message than voicemail.
When you must reprimand your employees, do it immediately, be direct, and do it in private.
Focus on one or two things, be specific, and don’t make it a personal attack, noted Prevost.
For more advice, visit royprevost.com
