Why can’t I find good employees?
ou have to be an
effective leader if you want to attract effective employees.
Leaders with loyal followers are ones who set high standards
and push for better than average results. They also understand
that results are achieved not because of themselves or their
ability to give orders, but because the people who work for
them feel empowered to do their very best.
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1. Lack of trust. Leaders build a following by developing trust.
When trust doesn’t exist, employees look for somebody
else to follow, even if it’s another employee. It’s
all about being fair and keeping promises. If you lose their
trust, you’ll start losing employees.
2. Failure to build and share a vision. You need to share your business’s
vision and goals so that employees understand the big picture.
You have to realize that employees want to know where your
business is going and how that direction impacts their personal
objectives.
As events and circumstances change,
communicate that to them as well. The more you reveal to
employees the more leadership they’ll feel they have.
Help them to see the future.
3. Unclear expectations. Each employee needs a clear focus. When
there’s a downturn in the economy or you make cutbacks,
they naturally have fears about their own futures. To allay
those fears, you have to continually communicate with your
employees. Tell them what you want, what you expect of them,
how you measure their progress.
4. You have to be the role model. You have to demonstrate the behaviors you
want from your employees. As a leader you actually lose some
rights — like the right to let your own performance slip
below par and the right to blame someone else when anything
goes wrong. As a leader, there’s no break from showing
other people the way you want them to be.
5. Partnering. When
you hire others to help you achieve mutual goals, they become
your partners. Leaders have to think in terms of
“we,” by involving others in decisions that affect
them and the business whenever possible.
6. Failure to retain quality employees. Good employees want to be recognized and
praised for their contributions. Give employees the authority
to do what they know needs to be done. They also want to grow
themselves, while helping you grow the company. Hold them back
and they’ll go elsewhere.
7. Acknowledge good work. Use every opportunity you can to
acknowledge a job well done.
Holding staff meetings or treating
employees to lunch are good ways to thank and encourage future
success.
Today, most employees feel insecure in
their jobs.
A big reason is that instead of working
together, there seems to be a war going on between management
and labor. They don’t trust each other. And for good
reason.
The typical employee does just enough work
not to get fired and no more.
The typical employer is not open and
honest with the staff.
The employee is not well-informed. Plus,
the employer pays the employee just enough so he or she
doesn’t quit. This behavior only breeds insecurity.
Ironically, even though many business are
laying off employees, they still desperately want and
can’t do without good employees.
Every competent employer in the world is
looking for top-notch employees with certain characteristics.
Applicants who display the qualities of a
true superstar should be rewarded with higher pay, good
benefits and job security.
What are those special traits about which
every employer dreams?
Who are the superstars?
Here are some characteristics that you, as
an employer, should value in any employee:
Employees who take specific actions on
behalf of the company, which either increase revenue or cut
expenses beyond the cost of their salary and benefits.
No employer wants, nor can afford, to have
an employee on board for long who costs money. When they are
not a cost, but a profit generator for your business, you will
never want to let them go.
Self-starters. Employees who don’t
wait for you to tell them what to do. Who ask questions, find
out exactly what has to be done and then simply do it.
Supervising them is actually fun.
Employees who take responsibility for
their actions. Most people have a “victim
mentality” and blame others for their mistakes. We all
make mistakes, even good employees. However, when they own up
to them, you’ll instantly recognize them as a keepers.
They won’t avoid unpleasant jobs.
They volunteer to do difficult tasks that need to be done in
every business. The world is full of buck passers. These
employees will do what they know in their heart has to be done
with diligence and without complaining.
They take the initiative. They offer
solutions and alternatives to company problems. When they see
something is going wrong, they don’t avoid it. These
employees look for ways to correct problems. They offer
suggestions and are willing to help.
To keep this type of employee, you have to
continually invest in them. Teach them what you can and send
them to training seminars whenever possible. These people want
to expand their horizons, both to serve you better and for
themselves.
The above characteristics identify a
person who goes the extra mile. They will be joining the
rarified air of employee superstars.
Contrary to common belief, there
aren’t a large number of employers willing to accommodate
them.
Dennis McCrory is president of The
Golomb Group Inc., a firm that
designs marketing programs for drycleaners. Contact him at The
Golomb Group Inc., 7664 Plaza Ct., Willowbrook, IL 60527
Tele: (800) 679-5856 E-mail: dennismccrory@golombgroup.com
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