Call
me a contrarian, but I can’t help wonder is this a good time
for companies to be considering adding to their employee count.
Let’s consider the analogy of the stock market to discover our
answer. When is the best time to buy stocks?” If your answer
is when the price is low and the supply is high, we should all
be buying right now.
I have been in staffing business for over 20 years and I’ve
never seen a better opportunity to bring on great talent. The
supply is definitely there for the taking no matter what you
are searching for. If you are not adding to staff, you can bet
your competition is.
Every strategic leader understands quality people make a company
great and no organization ever has enough good talent. Recently,
I watched a biography of Howard Hughes. Howard became a success
doing two things; creating new aeronautical inventions and finding
the best people he could find to assist him in the process.
At one time, his company employed more than 88,000 employees.
His engineering department was the best in the world. He brought
on many of these engineers when no one else wanted them and
offered them promising aviation careers. Today more than half
of the satellites in orbit are there because of Howard Hughes.
Even
when profits are difficult to find, leading companies find
a way to bring on the best talent. Leaders never say the word
“freeze” instead they use silly phrases like “slow
down” or a “hiring chill” or “hiring pause”, but they never
STOP hiring. Instead of bringing on employees, they add consultants,
temporary staff or interns. The best time to buy is when the
supply is great.
Other companies see economic slowdowns as an opportunity to
improve their workforce by replacing poor performers with
new employees who can add to their bottom line. Review processes
are improved, new performance management factors put into
place and new state-of-the-art quantitative and qualitative
tools adapted to measure bottom line. Poor performers are
let go and new employees brought on.
Finally there are companies that are very profitable and continue
their search each day.
So, continue to pay close attention to what you listen to,
don’t stop your search and don’t give up on that company you
are seeking. That ideal company is still looking for you.
Back to the library
Reproduction
of this article cannot be accomplished without the expressed
consent of Human Resource Staffing. Don Schmitz is a popular
speaker and writer on all aspects of HR and CEO of Human Resource
Staffing. Don holds graduate degrees in Education, Administration
and Human Development.
Contact Don@HumanResourceStaffingInc.com
952 854 6040
