Before you can have a successful recruiting strategy, you must first know what you are looking for in an ideal employee. I know there are many times you say to yourself, “why can’t I find people just like me” or “why don’t these kids work as hard as I did when I was a kid”? Wouldn’t it be nice to hire ten to twelve YOUS? Believe it or not, you can. They are still out there. They still want to work.
Group Diversity
Tonight, over 40 percent of the children in the U.S. will go to sleep in homes where the father does not live. The lack of a Father’s influence in a home has created additional challenges for children today. In families where the father is present, there is another 5 to 10 percent who have a negative influence on the family and should be living elsewhere. So 50 percent of employees are coming from broken families and 50 percent traditional, two-parent families. In most two-parent homes both the father and mother are working and the TV is on much of the evening.
Business owners must learn to adapt to these realities. They must learn to parent these employees to give them the skills and discipline they may be missing. Employers must first accept employees not for who they might become or for what they might bring to the job, but for who they are already, even with all their faults and shortcomings.
The idea here is for you meet them where they are with the skills they currently have and help them get to where they become a fully productive member of your business. There are five different types of applicants.
The first group is those who have a strong work ethic like those with a farm background. They are hard working, smart and always happy. Show them what needs to be done and they will do it. They don’t play games and always show up on time. These are also the employees that work for a while and then move up to another job after a period of time to better themselves. The key to keeping these employees happy is to find out what their goals are and help them reach them. Listen to them and pay them well.
The second group is the Couch Potatoes. TV, Nintendo, text messaging and the computer are their friends. Many may be introverted and/or just not motivated to find a job. Many parents of these types of children push them out of the house to get jobs. Many of these potential employees do wake up after precise and deliberate training. These kids are looking for a sense of self-worth. Isn’t it nice to know that you can help them find it? Be patient with the Couch Potatoes.
The next group is the Fighters. This group likes the intensity of conflict. The more aggressive they are the more alive they feel. So how do you deal with this group? Don’t hire them in the first place. But if you have one on your staff, train them out of the fight. Many may be perfectionists and have not learned to enjoy themselves. Help this person to understand their thoughts about themselves and others. Teach them the importance of enjoying the differences in their fellow co-workers and learning to accept those differences.
Another group is the Party Animals. This group believes that they must be doing something fun to be happy. Their conversations are usually focused around the last or next best party or event. They can really cause a problem for the rest of the staff by their behavior and lack of discipline. They need to find other ways to be happy, or they are doomed to fail both on the job and in life. So make your training fun and hang in there with them.
The last group is the Non-reality group. These are the people who are not satisfied with the agreed-upon social norms. You know the ones: Black lipstick, purple hair, black leather jackets, body piercing and tattoos everywhere. Believe it or not, this group for the most part, is very intelligent. They simply have not been taught to see the real meaning or future of society as it relates to them. Many have never been given a job that serves others. This group will discover that they enjoy performing a service that others’ need. Make them part of your staff and enjoy the diversity.
If you want to be an “employer of choice” that attracts excellent employees to your place of business you must learn to appreciate each of the different groups. It starts with your acceptance of each individual and the personal joy you exhibit in your job. By learning to accept each individual and training to the skills they need, you will help them serve your customers and make the workplace that much more enjoyable for both you and your employees.
If your business follows these business management steps and shows a genuine concern for the well being of your employees, you may soon find that you have the best employee performance in town.
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