During your career you’ve probably experienced countless jobs you either remember fondly or simply walked away from. Pay, benefits, schedule, satisfaction, fulfillment, and work environment all played a role in whether you stayed or moved on. After all, freedom of choice is as American as it gets.
In today’s workforce environment innovation, flexibility, and creativity are key to hiring and keeping employees. Sitting in a Supper Club recently I listened to a conversation between two delivery drivers who both work six days a week. When the subject of motivation came up, one driver explained that his company offers a unique incentive for those who volunteer for overtime. A simple weekly raffle. This weeks’ offering? A fifty-inch TV. Next week? A top-of-the-line pellet grill. Hey, for delivery drivers working to transport holiday packages that’s an incentive! Who wouldn’t like to have an extra gift for themselves or at least a chance at something more than the usual daily grind?
I found the entire conversation intriguing. It made me think of one of the simple reasons I stayed with one company very early in my career. Friday Beer and Balloons. One Friday a month during the hot summer season we would fill a baby swimming pool with ice cold beer and water balloons. At the end of the day the beer flowed down our thirsty throats and the water balloons flew…mainly at the boss. Cheer and fellowship was had by all as we celebrated our goals and accomplishments. Somewhat juvenile yet effective.
Now this company was certainly not Google, Epic, or Walmart but a typical hometown business that thought of a helpful way to please the troops within budget. And, at the time we were not facing a Pandemic and worker shortages. Today you might need a deeper swimming pool, more beer, and bigger balloons! But again, that’s what made the conversation between the two delivery drivers so interesting. Companies are reacting in a positive fashion and thinking of unique and novel ways to hire, motivate, and keep the doors open.
A recent article from the Washington Post states: “There’s a growing preference for remote work among job seekers. Some 55 percent of people reported looking for a job that would allow them to work from home. The vast majority said either workplace safety concerns or child or family care needs were driving their preference for remote work.” Hmm? Could remote work ease the pain?
In the same article, here’s how one business owner adjusted his approach to hiring: “Normally my question was, ‘Tell me why you think you’re a good fit for our organization.’ Now the tables have turned. I’m like, ‘Let me explain to you why I’m a good fit for you.’’ Could a modification to your hiring approach help? “People are applying to job postings thinking a human being is going to look at their submission, but they rarely get through if they have a gap in their job history or don’t have the exact right “key words,” said Joseph Fuller, a management professor at Harvard Business School and lead author of a recent study that found more than 90 percent of major employers now use automated screening of job applications. Are humans looking at the applications?
Continue to motivate the group you have and think about ways you might need to adjust. We’re here whenever you need to hire the right people. Click here to learn more about our recruitment advertising services.
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