The first pillar of building a resilient business is having a clear Strategy as defined in your mission, vision, and values. While you can have a stellar vision and business model, they are essentially worthless without the
right people to come alongside you to make that vision a reality. Which brings us to the second pillar: People.
In his book “Good to Great,” Jim Collins compares his “who before what” concept to a bus. He asserts that the most successful, resilient businesses ensure they have the right people on the bus before figuring out where to drive it.
He writes, “The good-to-great leaders understood three simple truths. First, if you begin with ‘who,’ rather than ‘what,’ you can more easily adapt to a changing world…second, if you have the right people on the bus, the problem of how to motivate and manage people largely goes away…third, if you have the wrong people, it doesn’t matter whether you discover the right direction; you still won’t have a great company.”
Attracting and retaining the right people, however, is more complex today than in years past. A recent article in Fortune magazine reports a record-breaking rise in the rate of employees leaving their jobs in recent months, with 4.5 million quitting in November 2021 alone.
Disruptions and obstacles presented by a global pandemic play a big part in the phenomena of the “Great Resignation,” – but there’s more to the story.
Attract With Your Mission, Vision, and Values
A careful look at Google’s Year in Search 2021 Report reveals several insights into what is increasingly important to the workforce in 2022.
“Mental health” and “sustainability” were terms searched at record highs last year. “When is Juneteenth” and “pride events near me” were questions searched more than ever in the U.S. for the second year in a row.
These insights reveal that employees today are looking for more than just pay scales and flexible working options. More than ever before, employees want to work for businesses that care deeply about the health and well-being of their people. They want to work for companies that value diversity, equity, and inclusion; they want to work for organizations that are good stewards of our environment and planet.
Can you effectively articulate your vision and values around these and similar concerns when trying to attract employees? Are you thoughtfully incorporating them into your job listings, applications, and interview conversations? These are things to consider as you work to attract employees who are as invested in your “why” as you are.
Thoughtful Applicant Screening
Screening resumes to find the best talent for your business can be overwhelming, but there are strategies and tools you can implement to make sure the best candidates rise to the top of your list.
Don’t skip putting intentionality and thought into your job applications. It’s the first impression your applicants will receive of you, and it’s a great way to glean critical insights that can make your screening process easier and time-efficient.
Including strategically subtle questions on your applications is a way to engage the people applying for the job and screen out who is and who is not paying close enough attention.
From the get-go, an engaging, thoughtful application will expose the range of communication and detail skills of the people applying to work for you. This can be as simple as a fun question like “what’s your favorite color” to a more introspective question that engages what’s most meaningful to your applicants. Figure out what attributes are most vital to your company and find creative ways to pull that information out of your applicants from the very beginning.
Many companies will send applicants a take-home aptitude test to make sure their skills match the needs of your business. While this might seem to save you time, don’t underestimate the value of sitting down one-to-one with applicants to work on practical problems. Job shadowing gives you more precise insights into the applicant’s aptitude, personality, and communication strengths.
As your business grows, contracting an outsourced hiring company to help screen resumes can be an excellent investment, so long as you make sure to carefully and thoroughly interview those candidates whose resumes rise to the top. Outsourced recruitment can be immensely helpful for companies taking in large volumes of resumes and applications, but they won’t prioritize your vision and values as intentionally as you.
Your Business’ Most Important Asset
People are complex, and their values and needs are evolving as rapidly as our world, but people are ultimately your greatest asset. It is well worth the time and care required to ensure you have the right people on your bus before setting off for your destination.
By leading, attracting, and interviewing with your vision and values front and center, you will be laying the foundation of a resilient business that can weather the disruptions and changes of the future. Once you have found the people you want on your team, the next trick is retaining them. Join us next time as we unpack how to foster and invest in a culture that will keep employees for years to come.