PROFESSIONAL DEV . attracting talent ? Are people running towards my agency or away from my agency ?”. In order to answer this question , you need to understand the needs and wants of the current workforce , what is needed to create an environment where your employees are engaged , happy , and productive . The following are a few key areas to consider :
BUILD A STRONG CULTURE
First and foremost , everyone has a desire to feel valued in every part of our lives . This is a core component of every relationship , and the work relationship is no exception . Creating a culture that demonstrates that you care about your staff is critically important . Many employees cite their relationship with their manager as the biggest influence on their success and satisfaction in their role . Building a strong connection as people is incredibly powerful . This can be best achieved by listening , understanding , and acting . By taking action to solve challenges they face in their day-to-day work environment you demonstrate that you care about them as people as well as employees , and you strengthen your connection .
FLEXIBLE WORK ENVIRONMENT
Over the past three years we have clearly demonstrated that work can be achieved remotely . Organizations that embrace a flexible work environment and are positioned to accommodate in-person work , remote work , and hybrid roles are the ones that can attract talent and begin to reshape their staff . This has allowed many organizations to adopt custom compensation packages and really meet their employees where they want to be . It also reinforces that you value what ’ s most important to them and you ’ re balancing that with the needs of the agency .
In order to make this transition , agencies must invest in technology , formalize processes , and be intentional with their engagement to keep their culture strong . It also requires a great deal of trust and respect for this structure to work well . The organizations that are able to implement this flexibility in their work structure have a higher employee satisfaction rate – leading to a higher potential growth , efficiency , and profitability rate that will positively impact the value of the agency .
“
many employees cite their relationship with their manager as the biggest influence on their success and satisfaction in their role .”
ONBOARDING & TRAINING
In many cases people want to be part of something that works well . Agencies that have a created a welloiled machine are positioned to provide this stability to their employees . This can be achieved with a strong onboarding process , a well-documented training program as part of that process , assigning a mentor , and investing in documenting the processes that will create success within your organization .
Providing this information in a format that is easily consumable and searchable so an employee can find and access the information easily is as important as creating and documenting the information . This will allow new and existing employees to find and access the information they need to be successful and efficient in their jobs . Training on your systems and processes should never stop and should be viewed as an ongoing and evolving task . As things change and evolve so should the process and training . Every employee should have a voice in this to ensure that new efficiencies are documented and shared with the entire staff to remain consistent throughout your organization .
CONTINUED ON PAGE 24
JULY / AUGUST 2023
9