Roberta Matuson* deals with the increasing challenge of finding the right talent to hire in a much-changed, post-pandemic world.
Ask any leader today about their biggest challenge and they’ll say it’s filling jobs and keeping good people.
Business owners and leaders are very worried about their ability to attract and retain talent. They should be. Here’s why.
Help-wanted advertisements have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Many businesses have scaled up in anticipation of a stronger recovery once vaccinations ease the impact of the pandemic.
A few months back, I wrote that even in a pandemic, organisations still struggle with employee turnover.
I offered a complimentary copy of my book, Selecting for Success, for those of you who wrote to me and shared your biggest challenge regarding employee retention and the attraction of talent.
The response was overwhelming. Here are some of the most common issues.
We are having a problem attracting people, as we pay below market rates.
We’re having difficulty selecting entry-level staff with high turnover positions.
Our biggest challenge is finding people who fit in culturally with our organisation. Is there an automated tool that is precise in assessing cultural fit?
Due to COVID, we’re no longer competing for talent solely against others in our local market as you no longer have to leave your home office to be hired.
I could go on and on, but I think there’s enough here to unpack.
Let’s start with compensation. First of all, no guide (or consultant) can help you attract and retain talent if you’re unwilling or unable to compensate people adequately.
You may have heard people say that money doesn’t matter. The people who say this already have money.
I was talking to a senior recruiter who recently left his job. I asked him why he resigned and here’s what he said.
“I got tired of telling the owner and senior management that we’re unable to compete for talent because of the wage structure which was less than our competitors.”
He went on to say that he felt like he was trying to fill a water bottle that had a leak in it.
He’s now working for the competition and is doing well.
Even my non-profit clients are finding money in their budgets to compensate people fairly.
These clients understand that people are working extremely hard these days and need to feel they’re valued by their employer.
How much you’re willing to pay someone is directly correlated to the value you place on this individual. Sorry to say, but there’s no getting around this.
Next, let’s address cultural fit. I’m a firm believer that it’s critical to hire people who fit in best with your culture, which I talk about extensively in my latest book, Evergreen Talent.
As far as an automated tool that is precise in assessing cultural fit, I haven’t come across one yet.
I know many of you would rather do anything than go through the hiring process that’s required of hiring managers.
I really wish I could be your fairy godmother and provide you with a way to get out of this. I can’t.
You can read my Selecting for Success Guide. Write to me at and tell me what your biggest challenge is in terms of talent, and I’ll send you a free copy.
The hunt for remote workers — I get that in the past, workers might have come to you or stayed with you because they didn’t want to relocate.
That’s all changed, at least for now, as more remote opportunities are becoming available daily.
Let’s look at the flip side of this. The world now is your oyster. You have vastly expanded your talent pool.
You no longer have to spend time trying to convince candidates to consider your location, nor do you have to invest a ton of money relocating people.
Go forth and recruit far and wide.
*Roberta Matuson is president of Matuson Consulting which helps Fortune 500 companies and high growth businesses create exceptional workplaces leading to extraordinary results. She can be contacted at [email protected].
This article first appeared at matusonconsulting.com.
