A struggling economy has an impact on everyone.
With some signs of improvement, there is still a considerable amount of people without work. It is a sad reality with job seekers trying to gain a break and navigate an ever-changing job market.
The unemployment rate in Minnesota was 5.6 percent in May. The state’s unemployment rate was 2.6 percentage points lower than the national rate for the month, according to the Department of Numbers.
What about employers looking for talent? They often need to fill positions and in some instances can’t find someone who is qualified. The other side of this is an employer can’t afford an applicant with too much experience.
What about trying to retain the good employees you already have? The St. Joseph Area Chamber of Commerce held its regular meeting earlier this month and gained some guidance on this question.
Chamber members heard from Cheryl Kelley-Bowman, a talent management consultant, about just what talent management programs can offer and their importance within an organization.
Kelley-Bowman shared something she often hears from employers: young people want a reason to stay at a job. She also said this sometimes surprises employers who might work to train someone who might take over some day only to learn they are happy doing what they’re doing.
What’s wrong with liking what you do? The old adage still rings true, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” This could be changed to “if you like what you’re doing, stick with it.”
However, what good is a company if there is no growth? The goal should be to hire and continue to motivate employees. Proving why an employee should stay is not far-fetched.
Kelley-Bowman defines talent management as a focus on onboarding, identification, assessment and movement of internal talent. Some tips business owners gained from the chamber meeting aimed to help employers understand the goal of talent management. Goals of talent management include ensuring pivotal roles have successors, identifying competencies that need to be developed in individuals and overall in the organization, identifying future talent that has a desire and willingness to fill positions, providing a defined career path and creating an open-dialogue culture that discusses future needs.
The workplace can be a complex arena. Motivation and high morale are key factors in a successful organization or business. With millions in search of work, it’s important to show those who are lucky enough to be employed they are valuable.
