Finding the Right Employer

This blog answers a question that Isis Goldstein asked me recently on LinkedIn "Are you also noticing the Big Shift since the pandemic? Are you helping a lot of people relocate themselves in terms of workplace?"

The trend I've noticed in the last 2 years is that people are no longer willing to stay in workplaces that don't appreciate them, value their efforts, and pay them a decent wage. Unless they feel they have no other choice.

Many people are cutting back on expenses, moving to less costly places to live, and either starting their own business, or actively searching for the right employer, instead of any employer.

On the other hand, many employers are increasingly frustrated when they can't find and hire the "right" employees. Part of their problem is that they are stuck in the mindset of finding an employee with specific education and levels of experience, and are not willing to recognize that there is more than one path to gaining the skillsets to effectively perform most jobs.

Employers who appreciate their teams, treat them well, and offer them some say in their duties and hours of work, do better at attracting, hiring, and retaining employees.

Some people tell me that I'm being unreasonable when I explain what employers can do to retain workers.

I like to share the story of a local fast-food restaurant. Two of my offspring have worked there, one is still an employee.  This franchise location asks their staff which days of the week, and what shifts they're willing to work. They also offer employees the opportunity to book off days, requesting that they do so at least 2 weeks in advance. Recently, they asked my youngest which days he wanted to book off over the holiday break.

This fast food restaurant will call and offer additional shifts if they find themselves short-staffed. There is no penalty if you say no.

The other two restaurants at the same intersection are always advertising for new staff. The one my offspring have worked at doesn't have to do that. Local employment agencies refer their clients to that location, and send them a steady stream of High School aged employees and people returning to the workforce.

When my other offspring quit before going to university, the manager offered to recommend them to a restaurant in that city.  That's the kind of support they provide. They have good retention rates for their industry.

Many of my clients are starting and growing their own businesses. Some of them have side-hustles to keep their cash-flow positive while they grow their businesses.

The clients that I help find jobs, tend to find their ideal jobs within 6 months of taking a course I now offer online called Navigating your Career Route Map: Designing Courses of Action to help you Achieve your Definition of Success.

Those I work with one to one, have differing results, depending on their skillsets and on how open they are to exploring a new way of searching for the right employer. I act as a Thought Partner, teaching tactics and strategies to help people discover new ways to approach their job search.

I can and occasionally do help people with resume writing, cover letters and interview prep, but that’s not where I have the most impact. Helping people discover new ways of thinking about the jobs they actually want to do, and the employers they’d be happy to work with, is much more effective in the long run.

If you’d like to learn more about finding your ideal employer check out the 10-minute video produced by the team at the Ophelia Rigault Real Talk TV Show called "Finding your Ideal Employer" on my speaking page.

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