Finding Good Talent: (Series 2) Burn-Out

Burn-Out (2): In 2009, some executives changed their perspectives on what they required of their workforce, and though they chose to do this out of perceived necessity, it was often times to the detriment of the staff that still remained.  Managers in down economies will naturally expect more from their employees.  The staff that was still around were required to wear more hats, gain more skills and work more hours for less money in many cases.  The problem is that perception is always changing, the economy (whether realistically or based upon perception) is settling and the opportunities for reemployment are again increasing as 2011 continues.  Though uncertainty still remains amongst business leaders, the need to adapt and move forward hasn’t changed.

Solutions:

Social Media Fish Bowl - There is a strong movement that Social Media is causing that will push managers and business owners towards investment in the culture of the company and its people.  Good companies are figuring this out.  Some great articles have been put out by key executives including one from Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce.com regarding transparency and the social movement and how it will affect the company’s workforce satisfaction rates like never before. Further review of this under Social Media post coming soon. 

Rebuilding your workforce -  start investing in support staff now.  You were able to temporarily take advantage of giving more responsibility to staff members.  Don’t wait until your employees start listening to the numerous recruiting calls they receive throughout the month simply because they’re tired of the increased hours and you’re not listening. 

Reward good deeds - don’t feel as though patting someone on the back every once in a while is patronizing.  They like it and certainly it’s not above the station of the CEO to do it himself if it’s notable enough and significant enough to the company or that persons position within your organization.  They’ll remember it and tell others about it both inside and outside your organization making your job easier overall.  This may turn your employees into your best recruiters.  Note: sometimes continuous rewards go further emotionally than pay increases.  Depending on the type of work, different incentives work better than others.

Listen and Then Speak – if your staff is complaining about long hours, low pay, or too much work, understand that it took a little while to get there and if they’re speaking about it openly, you’d better believe that they are talking about it online, to their friends and family and other staff members or union reps.  If this isn’t at least addressed verbally (regardless of whether there is a solution or not), they will feel as though you don’t care.  I’ve seen a lot of CEOs that go home and stress out over these issues yet never let anyone else know that they feel anything over the issue.  This only causes resentment.

Bottom line.. don't let these points become issues.  It's really easy to slow down, listen to your staff, see how other companies are rewarding the efforts of your staff, and if you can't figure out the solution, just ask.  There are other companies and leaders out there that are dealing with the same issues or have already overcome those issues.  Use this power, it could just save the life of your company.

These are just a  few points that I wanted to share with you from conversations in the board room and with C Level executives around the nation.  There are many other details we can get into if anyone has any questions.  Feel free to connect with me on @barretn via twitter or email me if you have any comments, additions or feedback that you'd like me to add in.  I appreciate your interest and time in reading Executive Decisions.