More than half of the American workforce is actively seeking employment!
And they aren’t seeking an extra dollar on the hour or even a 20% pay increase. I spoke to a young adult, Kimberly, about 3 weeks ago. She worked for a company that proclaims to be “client service” driven. This organization has thousands of employees. While they pride themselves on “customer service”. Their idea of customer service is answering as many calls per minute as possible. Their idea of great customer service is answering calls and ending calls as quickly as possible so the customer doesn’t have to sit on hold.
To provide this “great customer service” the managers cancel team meetings. And they often miss employee evaluations. So the employees would “have more time to drive the numbers up”. While Kimberly’s numbers were in the top 20 (of 40,000) employees, she like most of the American workforce, knew what is important to her. While she was a top producer, with top pay, she was not given the opportunity to do what she does best. Her strength was serving people.In this fast-paced number driven call center environment, she could not serve her customers as she knew they needed to be served. And as she had the natural ability to do.
Her title, after all, was Customer Service Representative.
She had specifically sought employment with this company because the job posting stated that this company was driven by serving their customers. During her interview, Kimberly was only asked several brief questions about her skills. She was never asked what here strengths were. Kimberly was never asked why she chose this company. Had the manager taken the time to ask just those 2 simple questions. Had she explained the talents required for the job, not just Kimberly’s phone skills, this organization could have saved everyone’s time. Kimberly never had the opportunity to share her concerns with her manager. He had missed her last two scheduled reviews. Furthermore, he spent most his time locked in his office watching the call time log. He was clearly focused on driving numbers, not his employees.
The other employees couldn’t discuss other potential solutions as a team. The manager canceled their team meetings repeatedly. Again, so the employees could have more time to answer…and end calls…and drive the numbers higher per day. Oh, and provide this great customer service. Kimberly actively searched for a new employer. She quickly found one. She also took a $10,400.00 reduction in pay. Why? Just to do what she does best for a company who IS service driven and where she can have meaning in her work.
The competition for skilled and talented workers is intense.
Yes, employers, you, can use social media to find talent within minutes. However, employees are super savvy and highly connected through social media. They can spot a good, bad, or exceptional company in seconds. Potential candidates can read about your company, see social media reviews. Talented candidates can decide if your organization is a good fit for them in less time than it would take you to pick up the phone to call them.
If they don’t see an organization that offers them the opportunity to access their talents and fits around their life, they will make one for themselves. They’ll be an Uber driver for 20 hours a week. They will wait tables for 10 hours a week and contract to do assistant work for another 10.
So, your employees are NOT leaving for more money.
They are leaving for an employment opportunity that offers them the ability to do what they do best and work they find meaning in. In fact, they are willing to leave you for a reduction in pay to do so.
Do you want to be the organization that provides your employees that opportunity to access and develop their strengths, to be fully engaged, to drive the four key business outcomes? Optimum Impact is the Elite Team and Leadership Development Organization, Changing the Face of the Business World!