Will labor shortage last all your days in HR?

Experts say, ‘Possibly’!

We don’t want to scare our HR pros too much, but you should know: The labor shortage you feel now will most likely be a pain point for a LONG time.

The better news: There are expert- and research-driven strategies to retain great employees and recruit more of the kinds of candidates you want.

Retain: Fix your culture

Researchers are adamant: The Great Resignation has been mostly fueled by toxic workplace cultures. They found corporate culture is 10 times more likely to contribute to employee quits than a company’s compensation.

Specifically, the top five leading predictors of attrition in the height of The Great Resignation:

Toxic corporate culture
Job insecurity and reorganization
High levels of innovation
Failure to recognize employee performance, and
Poor response to COVID-19.

“Our analysis found that the leading elements contributing to toxic cultures include failure to promote diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI); workers feeling disrespected; and unethical behavior,” the researchers say.

HR leaders can’t fix culture overnight. They can’t fix it alone, either. But knowing the major contributors – and owning up to allowing those to exist in the workplace – can help leaders ignite change.

Start with targeted surveys. Ask employees to assess the current conditions of DEI, respect and ethics in your workplace.

Retain: Create more lateral moves

If bad culture kills employee loyalty, inhouse career opportunities secures it. The researchers found offering lateral career moves is two-and-a-half times more predictive of retention than compensation.

Sure, career movement may come with some compensation adjustment, but researchers say the opportunity alone to expand skills, knowledge and authority are enticing enough to retain employees.

This is especially important to HR leaders and front line managers because you likely have untapped opportunities to make happy those employees who aren’t interested in climbing the corporate ladder.

So promote job openings directly to employees first and with gusto. Many workers simply want a change of pace or the chance to try something new. Those moves are even more enticing when they comes with the stability of staying with their employer.

Retain: Make work predictable

We aren’t going to address the proverbial elephant in the room called “remote work” beyond this: If you can offer it to white collar workers, do it. It has a huge impact on employee loyalty.

Beyond that, for anyone who can’t work remotely, create predictable work schedules. Having a predictable schedule is six times more powerful in predicting employee retention among blue collar workers, researchers found.

When people know what to expect for work, they can plan and enjoy their personal time better. And that makes their workplace more appealing.

Happy 7th Work Anniversary to Sarah Meusburger!

Hard work, loyalty, and diligence are the cornerstones of great employees. And we are glad that you have all of these qualities.

It is your work anniversary, and there isn’t any better moment than today to appreciate you and wish you good luck for many years to come!

Thank you for ALL that you do!

ALTERNATIVE HR| https://alternativehr.com/ | 605.335.8198

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