Editor’s note: Rick Grimaldi is the author of FLEX: A Leader’s Guide to Staying Nimble and Mastering Transformative Change in the American Workplace. Grimaldi has a private practice and is a partner with Fisher Phillips, LLP.
People across the country are quitting their jobs in record numbers. If you’re a business owner, you’ve undoubtedly had a tense moment or two wondering, who’s going to leave my company? But don’t just wring your hands; take decisive action. Smart leaders are approaching the Great Resignation as a time to pause, take stock and really audit their business practices and processes.
This is the perfect time to ask, “What can we be doing better?” Not only is this the secret to keeping the people you have, but it also gives you the opportunity to attract some of the amazing talent floating around right now.
People aren’t leaving the workforce altogether. They’re leaving old-school environments that aren’t meeting their needs for those that will. When you shift in ways that create the kind of culture people are drawn to, everyone wins – current employees, talented prospects and, of course, the company.
So how do you leverage this opportunity? What do you absolutely have to get right? Here are 14 tips for becoming a great place to attract and retain talent.
1. Ask yourself: Have we flexed? In a shockingly short amount of time, the employment landscape has changed dramatically. What about your company? Have you evolved to keep up? To answer, you’ll need to audit “what we’ve always done” and ask, “Does this still make sense for a talent base that demands an employee-centric workplace?”
This has to be a permanent shift. While there’s a talent squeeze right now, the new employee expectations are the new normal. Make sure leaders understand this reality. Then, honestly ask yourself, what do my employees, current and future, REALLY want? This is the first step to mo...