On the short list of challenges faced by all business owners is the need for a trained, steady workforce. The quagmire can be the best practice to solve the problem.
The Augusta office of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is offering a workshop to help owners and managers navigate the predicament.
Rebecca Mixson, director of the Augusta office, told ABD they have noticed a shift in the years following the pandemic. For 50 years prior to that, 30% of the population joined the workforce. In the ensuing years, that has dropped to as low as 4%.
“So, what we have found is that businesses need to market themselves to be the place to work, not only with their product or service, but being the place to work,” she explained. “And then retention really needs to involve conversations between employees and supervisors or owners to determine what does that means, what does that look like? It could be anything from flexible working hours to we had one company that all the employees wanted to stay was the new truck on the fleet.”
The workshop runs the gamut from A-to-Z, from recruitment through retention. It will provide real-world tools and strategies to attract and retain quality employees. The workshop will focus on five skills:
- Attract high-performing talent through effective recruiting strategies
- Identify the right candidates during the hiring and interview process
- Strengthen your employer brand to stand out in today’s competitive workforce market
- Create an onboarding experience that improves employee engagement and retention
- Reduce turnover through practical employee retention strategies
Some of the solutions to stop turnover may develop organically. As more Baby Boomers retire, younger generations, with a unique style, will step into management roles.
“We’ve talked to a lot of businesses lately who are dealing with this, who are looking at people within their company, or looking at family, and what the long-term plan is,” said program coordinator Shelby Carl. “I think the younger generation seems really eager and ready to learn and ready to step into leadership roles, and it’s really nice to see the older generation hand out the information and the knowledge that they have.”
Hiring is just the first step in the workforce building puzzle. The next step is creating an onboarding process that is both immediate and long-term.
“We experience this every other week in our system, in that things change because times change, technology changes, outcomes must change accordingly,” Mixon explained. “New things come on board, but it can’t just be shoved into a person’s face and expect to run well. There has to be timed training to be able to make it function properly and understand the human aspect of it.”
Joining Mixson in leading the class will be Lisa Rackley. She is the area director and a senior business consultant at the SBDC office in Macon, serving Middle Georgia.
The workshop is Thurs., Oct. 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. It will be in the conference room at the SBDC office at 2907 Professional Parkway.
More information and to register at:
https://georgiasbdc.org/training-program/0843-001-aug-how-to-hire-and-keep-great-talent/
