We invest time and money in getting people to join, we don't always provide them with the tools to be successful or to stay.....

If we spent as much time, effort and resources on our employees as we do on getting new customers, imagine how skilled and engaged a workforce we would have. Many a commentator has mentioned that people are a companies best resource, so why don't we treat them that way?

Whether it is a small company or a large multinational, there is a constant balance between hiring enough and getting the right candidates but we are now in the digital age where the average number of CV's per role is 100-1000+ and rising.

Now, this is where it comes a little bit complex for both those trying to hire and get hired, it makes it much less likely to be a diamond in the rough, especially when many companies use electronic tools to speed up keyword searches and spend 30 seconds to a minute deciding to move a candidate forward of not. It is the same conundrum a company has when responding to an RFP. How can I get noticed and show my true worth when you don't have a chance to match your functions and features with their needs, in person or otherwise.

What if most of what you need is right in front of you, your own resources are more capable of understanding the DNA of what makes your company special and advocating that to any client, building those long-lasting relationships, the key to breaking down the RFP barrier.

I have worked in both small and large companies with different amounts of effort, time and money spent on making sure these resources have all the tools they need to succeed. These same companies have used a mixture of in-house and external recruiters to find the best talent in the industry and unfortunately, sometimes that's where the effort stops. It is not enough paying large fees, stretching budgets and creating a negative atmosphere internally with those who feel they have been overlooked if the end result is not clear. There is always a revenue target, people bring in the revenue but do those strategies always align?

Varying degrees of onboarding processes, some much slower than others, leaving candidates sometimes coming into a role with a standing start. In my opinion, you should always stimulate a new market before you bring a new employee in or have a clear goal of what that role can fulfil before a new hire joins. While I am only using my experiences, and know a lot of companies have best in class policies and procedures when it comes to people, I have always found that when revenues start to slip or external situations push company coffers negatively, the first things to go are sales, marketing and people development.

How do we know we are even recruiting the right type of candidate? We are now in an environment unseen before, are the same skills we thought we needed, still relevant? Take, for example, a field sales or 'road-warrior' role, clearly, the profile and skills they traditionally would have are independence, relationship building and 'hunters'. We don't know when we can next travel, are these same individuals capable of doing it from the end of the phone, will the results be the same, is there training and support to help them pivot?

I read the above article, which in it, states the true time it takes to get an employee up to speed is 8-26 weeks. This is after they joined and assumes they have had training and more than likely expects a lot of face to face. There are a significant number of companies exclusively hiring virtually, which in my opinion isn't a bad thing, the only risk is in 'the fit' of an employee which generally you get after spending a few sessions face to face but also the nurturing of these same people requires mentors, training and time from resources who probably have a full plate. So 3-4 month recruitment timescale and cost, in addition to up to 26 more weeks to get up to speed, not only do we need to make sure we give them the tools they need but could we have we looked internally for existing talent?

Not as big a problem in today's market but attrition or losing key employees to other companies after investing significant cost in them is a big risk for companies. Why do people leave, well for one, some say people don't leave companies they leave their managers but in reality, it is a case of not feeling wanted, rewarding new joiners more than existing employees and poor engagement/opportunities to grow.

My advice to companies in any of these situations is;

1: Produce continuous education and training - make it part of their package to hit small stage goals and understand how the best they like to consume the information. Keep them engaged, rewarded and up to date, you are not training them to tick a box, you are training them to make sure they represent your company to the fullest extent, it wins business!

2: Continuous evaluation - a full 360 degree of where they are vs expectations, performance goals and soft skills is an annual must. This must align with your team goals and the unit goals. Quarterly and half-yearly catch up's, even small one on ones can help keep employees engaged and focused. Also give a manager an understanding of what development is needed and any people-related risks they have. Tools like the 9 box grid and 360 evaluations which include peer responses as well as managers are in my opinion the best ones to use.

3: Hire for where you want to go, not for where you are - what skills do you need today may not be exactly what you need tomorrow. It is no different to a product strategy, be innovative and don't take like for like. A good mix of domain and industry experience with some from outside should be a way of thinking, remember you can teach understanding, you can teach aptitude. Hire people who are as good as you if not better and give them the tools to succeed.

4: 80/20 rule - a quick recruitment/evaluation process over a long drawn out process will not help the company, the employee or the candidate. Remember things will change, markets will diversify and needs internally will adapt so the more you search for perfection you will only achieve something that was important at the time you started not what is relevant now.

5: Never stop developing your people - create new ways for them to be effective, encourage them to do external training. Bring in external thought leaders from other industries or companies who can develop them the right way, most companies do that with anyone from auditors to market consultants so why not think about. Give them time to get up to speed, expect and build in time to get to the position where the value they add exceeds your requirements and while drive them for excellence, coach them for sustained excellence over the longest period.

In summary, sometimes the best resources you have are right in front of you, treat them well and give them the skills to succeed and you will have a motivated workforce and spend less time and cost recruiting and more running your business.

If you are not sure how to approach this or need some guidance, please feel free to go to the S2S Academy site / linkedin page and reach out to the team to come up with some innovative ways to get the most out of what you have.