WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT supporting the community , and protecting the environment ahead of delivering long-term value to shareholders . They explicitly state “ too often hard work is not rewarded , and not enough is being done for workers to adjust to the rapid pace of change in the economy .”
As part of MLP ’ s ongoing focus on workforce development , this column features tips , tools , and topics designed to help members successfully recruit , effectively onboard , and consistently retain qualified employees .
THE EVOLVING EMPLOYEE FOCUS
by Neal Glatt , CSP , ASM
The way that world-class companies are thinking about their employees is evolving dramatically . If we want our people to be more engaged , more productive , more satisfied , and more likely to stay with our organizations , not only can we learn from this new perspective . but we can execute it faster to be a more competitive employer .
The CEOs of the companies I ’ m talking about belong to an organization called The Business Roundtable . They represent more than 250 of the leading companies in the U . S . including places like Amazon , Bank of America , Coca-Cola , Dell , Ford , Home Depot , Marriott , Proctor & Gamble , UPS , Visa , and Xerox . Together , these companies touch every sector of the economy and employ more than 15 million people .
From 1997 until 2018 , The Business Roundtable published what they called a Corporate Purpose . This statement is what every major CEO believed was the reason for business to exist and what good leaders should deliver . The basis of their Corporate Purpose was based on the philosophy of Milton Friedman and for which he was awarded the 1970 Nobel Prize in Economics . In summary , he believed that “ there is one and only one social responsibility of business : to engage in activities designed to increase its profits .”
But nearly 50 years after this ground-breaking theory won global acclaim , the CEOs of The Business Roundtable realized it wasn ’ t working for them in today ’ s world . They determined that putting profit first didn ’ t deliver the long-term benefits they needed for their stockholders and that it was not a sustainable business philosophy . So , in August of 2019 they published a new Corporate Purpose .
These CEOs know more about managing people , motivation , and building successful companies than anyone . When they say that employees need more recognition and skills development , you can bet it ’ s a successful plan . In fact , Gallup has shown that teams that have seen progression in their development in the last six months are 10-15 % more productive than those who haven ’ t .
The problem is that 250 CEOs can ’ t change the culture and execution of job training for 15 million employees nearly as fast as our small and nimble teams can . So , we can leverage the philosophy and beat them to the punch by investing in our people starting immediately and becoming a superior employment option as they struggle to pivot .
The studies prove that when we care about and invest in our people ’ s development , they ’ ll be more involved in , enthusiastic about , and committed to our work and workplaces . What ’ s more , productively , profitability , and safety increase while turnover , absenteeism , and defects decrease . So , the only question is where do we get started ?
If you ’ re not sure how to train your team for the next level , you ’ re not alone . Fortunately , we started GrowTheBench . com to provide affordable , on-demand , virtual education for the green industry to help . When you set up your employees , they ’ ll be learning and developing the skills they need to succeed in the workplace and become more engaged in the process . There is even content that is 100 % free . It ’ s never been easier , or more important , to invest in employees than it is today . ❖
As a member and supporter of MLP and the Workforce Development Committee , I ’ m here as a resource for you . Feel free to reach out on LinkedIn , Facebook , or via phone or email . Together we can save this industry we love ! Neal @ GrowTheBench . com ( 805 ) 340-9311
This new purpose prioritizes value for customers , investing in employees , fostering diversity and inclusion , dealing fairly and ethically with suppliers ,
MLP Newsline | March 2021 15