We are experiencing an embarrassment of riches in this country . . . sort of.\u00a0 The rate of unemployment in 2018 was just 3.9%.\u00a0 To find a lower rate than that, you\u2019d have to go all the way back to 1969 when it was 3.5%.\u00a0 Good for employees, but not so good for employers.\u00a0 Effectively, an unemployment rate this low means that everybody who wants a job has one or can get one.\u00a0 In fact, there are now millions more jobs that need to be filled than there are people to fill them.\u00a0 That\u2019s bad news for employers who can\u2019t be as productive as they should be simply because they don\u2019t have enough people to get the work done.\u00a0 Even worse, out of fear that they won\u2019t be able to find adequate replacements, employers are holding onto poor performers who otherwise should be shown the door.\u00a0 So employers are stuck in a situation where they\u2019re damned if they do and damned if they don\u2019t.\u00a0 For more on a solution to this dilemma, please continue reading below.<\/p>\n
\u201cCreate a company that\u2019s a great place to be from.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 <\/strong>~ Patty McCord\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em>(Part II)<\/p>\n In our previous posting, we talked about the fact that small companies probably can\u2019t hold onto their best and brightest . . . at least, not all of them.\u00a0 Most of them are just passing through, but will stop at your place long enough to collect a few more lines on their resumes before continuing on to their next stop.\u00a0 The average tenure among the Millennials and Generation Z is about 2 \u00bd years, but there\u2019s no reason you shouldn\u2019t try to beat that average.\u00a0 Who knows?\u00a0 With a little effort, maybe you can keep them in harness for an additional six months or even a year.\u00a0 If you\u2019re inclined to hold onto them as long as you reasonably can, here are some steps you can take to \u201cCreate a company that\u2019s a great place to be from.\u201d<\/p>\n If you want to know what your culture is like at work, at home, or at any other gathering place that is a regular part of your life, Rheem advises asking one, simple question: \u201c How does this place make me feel?\u201d\u00a0 Do I feel fearful, on guard, demotivated?\u00a0 Or do I feel I\u2019m in my element, energized, and proud of my role?\u00a0 There\u2019s no question that money is important.\u00a0 We all have to support ourselves in whatever lifestyle we have chosen.\u00a0 But according to Rheem, \u201cThe future of work will be defined by how it feels rather than how it pays.\u201d\u00a0 We don\u2019t think he\u2019s wrong.<\/p>\n It\u2019s instructive to remember the old axiom, \u201cOne bad apple can spoil the whole barrel.\u201d\u00a0 Likewise, one negative person can spoil an otherwise positive, upbeat culture.\u00a0 We\u2019ve all met people who have a victim mentality, who are always complaining, and whose glass is always half empty.\u00a0 Their negativity is toxic, it\u2019s pervasive, it\u2019s contagious, and it exhausts everyone around them.\u00a0 So be your company\u2019s gatekeeper.\u00a0 No matter how important the job is or how desperate you are to fill it, be tough, be real stubborn, and refuse to fill it with anyone who will not be a good fit for your culture.<\/p>\n Be guided by the old admonishment to \u201chire slow and fire fast.\u201d\u00a0 Despite our best efforts to the contrary, occasionally someone will slip into our tribe who doesn\u2019t belong there.\u00a0 When that happens, there\u2019s no choice.\u00a0 There\u2019s no time to dilly dally and no time for a lot of hand wringing.\u00a0 A source of negativity in your midst can do more damage and do it more quickly than you might imagine.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got to own up to the mistake, correct it as quickly and humanely as possible, and move on.<\/p>\n This may seem like a lot of work just to get a few people who are bound elsewhere to stick around for another few months, but the good news is, this also carries great benefit for the people who aren\u2019t just passing through and who might be encouraged to stay with you for more than a few years.<\/p>\n Either way, if you \u201cCreate a company that\u2019s a great place to be from,\u201d it\u2019s hard to imagine how that could turn out badly for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We are experiencing an embarrassment of riches in this country . . . sort of.\u00a0 The rate of unemployment in 2018 was just 3.9%.\u00a0 To find a lower rate than that, you\u2019d have to go all the way back to 1969 when it was 3.5%.\u00a0 Good for employees, but not so good for employers.\u00a0 Effectively,<\/p>\n\n