You have a new job opening after someone who has been with the company for years decided to just up and leave. Immediately, you’re on online job and recruitment boards, posting about the qualifications you are looking for. There should be no time to waste, as the post is very critical to your business operations. Time is of the essence, of course.
The problem, however, is that you are not looking where you should be looking in the first place. The people you have working for you are the best. At least, that’s what you thought when you hired them. If you trust your judgment, then take a look at who you have now and figure out who among them deserves the chance to do more tasks for the company.
Can you still remember when you first took a chance on them? They will not last long in the company if you don’t think them the best fit for the jobs that they do. This is more than just about gut instinct. It is reality. They are with you because they are competent enough to bring success to the company. You haven’t fired them or demoted them because they do their best given the circumstances of the economy, market, and business.
Who Are They?
The first thing you should do is to identify who among your employees has been with the company the longest. The longer they have stayed with the organization, the more likely you, at one time or another, have been impressed with their performance. Look also into employees who received service awards in the past. Talk with your supervisors and managers about them. They know better than anyone who is the best performing among all the workers.
What Do They Bring?
More than their talents and skills, these employees should have brought in help, too. If you cannot find anyone among them to fill the employment gap, then the next best thing is to ask them who they think should join the company. This is when an employee referral platform becomes useful. Businesses use this platform so employees can refer their friends, acquaintances, and anyone in their network for job openings. If you trust your employees enough to do their tasks, then you should also trust their recommendations when you need someone to fill in a gap.
Referrals are actually the best way to find the right people for the job. Remember that your employees are running within the same circle. They can tap alumni and fresh graduates from their colleges and universities. They can also recruit their friends from other companies. After all, who better know what employees from other companies and industries are going through but their friends? If they’re already complaining about their present employment, then they might be open to checking out what you have to offer.
What Do Employers Need to Do?
If your employees are not thriving in the environment and culture that you created, is that their fault or yours? Or maybe a combination of both? Employers have to do their part in nurturing an environment of continuous learning in the office. Your employees must use this nurturing environment to learn new skills and update the old ones. Employers are at the core of this environment. If they don’t make sure there is a culture of learning in the organization, then employees will have a hard time bettering themselves.
Employers can do this through workshops, training, seminars, and conferences. They can do this by encouraging their employees to share challenges and the best practices they learn while doing their jobs. This will allow others to learn from their peers’ experiences. It will challenge them to also find ways to contribute to the company.
Organizations should throw the doors wide open for employees. Among the best things they can do is to encourage them to go back to school. They can learn new skills, develop their current arsenal of skills, and find new niches where they can thrive. While the school is no longer enough to make employees competitive, it provides knowledge that serves as the jumping point for people.
Look no further from your own roster of employees. You will be pleasantly surprised how many of them have the qualifications and skills that you are looking for. It doesn’t only save energy to find new talents in your office, but it also maximizes your resources—money and time. Let your employees surprise you. But better yet, empower them to surprise you.
