Whether we like it or not, the global pandemic has certainly challenged us as business owners to adapt quickly to an environment that is rapidly changing – sometimes even on a daily basis.
While government has provided some guidance and support businesses have had to manage much of the unpredictable change on an individual level figuring out new ways to operate – often with very limited resources.
As much as we would like to believe that we just need to hang on a bit longer and everything will go back to “normal”, in reality it feels like the only thing that is certain is uncertainty itself. We are realising that we can’t hope for a positive change but must plan and make that change ourselves.
Every industry is experiencing a different version of uncertainty. For our clients, by far the biggest pain point is finding people. The labour shortage has vastly changed the employment landscape. Not only do businesses need to look at their product offering and whether it needs to adapt to a new market, but also their workforce and what they are looking for in a career and a working environment.
For a business to thrive in the current climate it needs to be agile and flexible. It has never been more important to attract the right people.
This may seem like a tall order in a stretched labour market. However, by looking at a few key areas in your business and recruitment practice you can not only survive the current unpredictable environment but in fact create a workforce that will drive your long-term business goals.
Creating a supportive and inclusive workplace culture
Regardless of the business size, its culture will dictate how it adapts and engages with the market to meet its demands. Culture is visible at every touchpoint of a business from customers through to suppliers and, of course, its people. By fostering a robust positive culture your business will naturally attract like-minded candidates that can see themselves as part of the business and will be ready to engage straight away. At Top Draft we believe this ‘culture fit’ approach should be at the core of your recruitment practice.
Promoting a flexible workplace environment
Traditionally money has been a big motivator when attracting the right employee. Of course, this is still a major factor but we have found a significant demand for good culture and flexibility in the workplace has really started to take over. The last two years has increased everybody’s anxiety and rather than just a high number on their paycheck employees are looking for a work environment that fits in with their desired lifestyle and provides a sense of security that helps to ease that anxiety.
The sudden shift in the necessity for people to work from home has seen an increase in technology platforms that allows for this.
These platforms mean people can work remotely while still connecting, engaging and being accountable to their workplace. By considering this as a possibility, employers significantly expand the pool of high-end candidates that they have to choose from too.
Completing a business capability audit
In a tight labour market employers need to ensure their people have the capability to support their long term business goals. They need to look at their workplace as a whole and check where there are capability gaps.
Invest in training to ensure they have the agility to respond quickly to the changing demands of their market. Alternatively, look at reliable outsourcing that aligns with your business culture to fill the gaps in peak times.
Alternative approach to filling traditional drafting roles
In an unpredictable economic environment, with a tight labour market and people looking for flexibility in their workplace, the pressure is on business to shift its gaze to a less traditional approach to filling roles. We are helping our clients build new working models that are not only in response to the above external factors but also end up working better for their business, providing a solution that makes them attractive to candidates, gives them flexibility and also the ability to save on labour costs.
By using our remote drafting services in conjunction with our culture-fit recruitment we can build a model that finds the right people for your organisation but also fills in the gaps as demand runs up or down.
Case Study
One of our clients has formalised this hybrid approach. They have one main experienced ‘in house’ drafter that looks after Quality Assurance and the needs of internal and external stakeholders. They then use Top Draft Group as their ‘drafting team’ which they can pick up and put down as they need. The client only pays for what they need and because they work so closely with TDG the individual needs and culture of the business is always understood. As the business grows they are able to add full time drafters to their team that are trained in exactly the areas they need.
By building in this flexibility, businesses are able plan for growth and satisfy the demands of their stakeholders safe in the knowledge that they have a pool of labour with the right skills going into the future.
For more information on how Top Draft can help you:
- build a hybrid recruitment model
- find the right culture fit employee for your business; or
- build in remote drafting services expand your net and fill the gaps
simply contact Joanne at: joanne@topdraft.com