The skilled labor shortage touches many industries. Here’s a perspective (a panel in video and article forms) from the custom integration industry. (I used to handle PR for panelist Paul Starkey’s previous firm.)
What caught my attention: We have to operate out of an abundance mindset.
If you think technicians (of whatever stripe) are scarce, you are desperate for anyone who passes the fogs-a-mirror test. Or you poach.
“How are you helping me to grow as an individual?”
(And, as the panel points out, a poached employee is either “a good person in a bad place” … or “a bad person in a good place” … either way, a potential job jumper who leaves for money and brings with him bad habits.)
The alternative is to operate from abundance: My industry is exciting and desirable in many ways … and I am looking for elite candidates who fit.
Some ideas from the panel that grow out of that:
- Talk about a career, not a job. For instance, in custom integration, you can talk about how you get paid to play with really cool tech.
- Explain there is a learning process with globally recognized certifications along the way. They are all asking, “How are you helping me to grow as an individual?”
- Smaller firms can talk about their benefits: greater variety of work, family atmosphere, etc. (Bigger firms can talk about their advantages, too.)
- Talk to schools (even middle schools), talk to parents. And make it a weekly habit so we are on the radar of our prospects when the time comes.
- Post on job boards and market digitally–but about the career and culture, not the job.
- Grow them yourself so you avoid the problems of bad habits from poached employees.
- Filter aggressively (notice Paul has “eight gates” that include personality assessments). “Hire for culture,” he adds. I’m reminded of the Marines slogan, “The few. The proud.”
- Set your sights high: Two of Paul’s recent technicians were class valedictorians.
It is interesting to note that the learning process you pitch to new hires applies to everyone. Current skilled labor stars might be tomorrow’s managers, sales pros, etc. Everyone needs a career and personal growth path.
And only when new hires start growing will our current veterans get a chance to move up and add even more value.