Real World HR
Thoughts on everyday life in the workplace
What if We Ran Out of Workers?
It has been a busy travel and conference season, and I have had the pleasure of hearing some top HR experts and professionals muse about future trends and priorities for the HR industry in the coming year and beyond. (OK, not all of the speakers were a pleasure to listen to, but that is a topic for another column.) Nevertheless, the consensus on the top issues faced by HR in the coming years include the following:
As I ponder this list, the voice in my head sounds something like this, “Blah, blah, blah, labor shortage, blah, blah.”
Sure, all of these issues are important, but shouldn't having actual employees be at the top of the list? I mean, without a workforce the rest of the concerns don't amount to a pile of I-9s. So, with all due respect to my colleagues, I'm going to alter the list a little:
There. That's better.
Multiply and Conquer
Apparently, we're running out of people. And people aren't like Doritos. You can't “just make more.” Well, ok...you can make more, but even the few of us left in America that are (making more) are grooming our young'uns for advanced degrees and positions of leadership, not to be frontline foxhole fillers.
Take for instance the shortage of qualified candidates for nearly every police department in America . There simply aren't enough to go around. To shoulder a weapon and a badge requires a clean background, a tough hide, and a sense of calm and control. Not to mention brains, brawn and bravery.
These people are not only becoming extinct, but recruiting them for police work is a tough sell. If they really do have brains, they know there are gobs of jobs out there that won't require them to hobnob with drug dealers, miscreants, and gangbangers for the same pay as a high school math teacher. Wait a minute, that is the job description of a high school math teacher.
But it's not just a dearth of manual laborers like ditch diggers, garbage collectors and customs agents. We're talking about a shortage of top talent, the best of the best.
Forty-two percent of U.S. CEOs and 66 percent of Asian CEOs say securing top talent is their number one concern. It's refreshing to hear that they get it. Finally. It's not about the IT infrastructure or the marketing plan. It's the
people. “We must have more of them,” they're telling us. “Stoke up the coals! Make more people!”
So maybe, as we look at strategies for 2006, now is the right time for HR leaders to press for shorter workdays. Clearly employees need more time at home to engage in activities that will boost our working population and save us all from this crisis.
Bo Knows Recognition
A few weeks ago I spoke to a group from IAP Worldwide Services at their annual management training in Orlando . One gentleman told me of an informal, but very symbolic award they use on the boys' high school baseball team.
“Bo” is a chewed up, half smashed, lop-eared old baseball that's been run over by a lawn mower. Its cover is just held on by a few remaining stitches. The coach awards it to the “scrappiest” player each game, or the one who “left it all on the field.” This team doesn't have a lot of resources and the best they've ever done is finish second, each time to the same dominant team. But there is unity and camaraderie and a great sense of pride when “Bo” is presented. It takes an awful lot of effort to get it. And the coach says he sees that effort in every player because of “Bo.”
Think something that simple could impact your “team?” Believe it.
If replenishing the earth isn't the answer to the labor shortage, then we'd best start rediscovering some age-old motivational truths. Consistent, frequent praise can go a long way.