Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1497518
42 PCB007 MAGAZINE I APRIL 2023 If you're having trouble attracting and retain- ing good people, there's a reason for that. Dis- covering that reason will require some honest reflection and serious introspection on your part. If you want to solve your talent prob- lem, you must be honest with yourself about what your company is bringing to the table. People want to work at a company that gives them a way forward and up the ladder. ey want to feel supported, that their work truly matters, and to be seen as human beings. Who wouldn't? Figuring out what's keeping good people away from your company means asking your- self tough questions in each of these areas: Career Trajectory Questions 1. When we hire someone, do we show them the future? 2. Do we show them a career path, including where they can be in three, five, or 10 years? 3. Have we developed career plans, and do we put new hires on a planned career path? 4. Do we indicate the kind of money they can make going forward? Learning/Development Questions 1. Have we developed comprehensive orientation plans? 2. Have we developed thorough and thought- ful training programs where new hires learn not only about their immediate jobs, but are also shown the bigger picture? 3. Do we assign each new hire a mentor, someone to take them under their wing and show them the ropes? Job Satisfaction Questions 1. Do we give them examples of the impor- tant work we are doing here, including examples of where and how our products are being used to change the world? 2. Have we considered that the people we are hiring truly matter, that they are important and are, in many cases, the breadwinner for their families? Do our policies, compensation, and benefits packages reflect this? Let's take a step back and ask, if nothing else, one simple question: Have your new hires been invited to spend some time with you, the owner or president, so that they can get to know you, and you them. ink of the power of that simple act. John Endee, the owner of Pho- tocircuits, used to meet with every single new hire, no matter their position. He would spend three consecutive Wednesday aernoons with them, telling them his personal story and the story of Photocircuits, so that by the end of these sessions, they knew what the company was all about. ey understood the compa- ny's values, ethics, and business strategies, and they knew—this is the really important thing— they knew that they were a part of something important, and that they, personally, were an important part of that work at a great company in a great industry. ey knew they mattered, that they had value and were valued. Photo- circuits at that time had 400 employees. All I'm asking is that you think about this issue. It's not about money. I know that we all have limits on what we can pay; that's a fact of life when running a business. But showing peo- ple their future; demonstrating to them that they are now a part of something important, something that matters; and that they matter— that's critical. Asking yourself these questions and acting on the answers with honesty and sincerity will go a long way toward solving your employee hiring and retention problems. It's only common sense. PCB007 Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group. This column originally appeared Feb. 13, 2023 on PCB007.com. To read past columns, click here.