Good help is hard to find | Recruiting the ideal employee

The Problem | Finding an employee who is invested in his or her job

“The secret of my success is that we have gone to exceptional lengths to hire the best people in the world.” – Steve Jobs

The last speaker finished his presentation and the panel of manufacturers who had previously spoken lined up to answer questions at the last Green Country Manufacturing Alliance meeting in Afton, OK. As other manufacturer attendees inquired about processes, timelines and employee morale, one question in particular stood out from the rest. “What have you found to be the most difficult thing about being a manufacturer in Oklahoma?” Almost as soon as the questioner had finished, one of the days’ speakers answered, “Finding good help”. He went on to explain that though applicants are many, finding a good hire with integrity and a strong work ethic who will take ownership of the company and come to work every day is difficult. What then is the solution?

On September 29, our CEO, David Moore, had the amazing opportunity to attend a workshop led by award-winning Industrial and Organizational Consultant, Kristine Sexter at Mid America Industrial Park in Pryor, OK. At the workshop, David and other attendees gained valuable information and know-how regarding recruitment as well as developing and retaining talent within the workplace.

Why staffing processes matter | Any hire may not be the best hire

According to Kristine Sexter, the best employees are almost never without a job. They are most likely already excelling and being a strong asset to another company or business. With near record low unemployment in Oklahoma ( 4.6% as of August 2015), recruiting solely from those currently unemployed  is not the most effective approach to finding high-performing talent.

Ms. Sexter reported 73% of all external hires in 2014-2015 could be attributed to five major sources. Referrals came in first and were responsible for 19.2% of hires. At 19.1% the career page of a website came in second and was followed by online job boards such as Indeed and LinkedIn, direct sourcing by company recruiters and recruiting from tech centers. Knowing the breakdown of these statistics is not only eye opening but crucial to deciding what to spend a company’s recruiting dollars on as to make the most of a budget while finding “good help”.

Tricks of the Trade | How to succeed at staffing

Ms. Sexter presented her proven solution to recruiting talented assets in the form of six rules of wise recruiting.

• Her first rule was to retain employees stating that hiring the right employees from the beginning, maintaining an integrity-rich company culture and rewarding and recognizing outstanding performance can and will help to prevent turnover.
• The second rule posed was to have a recruiting plan in place. This plan should be proactive, effective and perfectly executed to yield desired results.
• Thirdly, a company should focus on “promoting and selling careers”. Why would someone want to work for your specific company?
• Rule four is to never stop recruiting though you may be fully staffed. Ms. Sexter referred to keeping your talent cache full for the day when you may need to hire again.
• Networking is the idea behind the fifth rule. As was mentioned before, top candidates for employment are almost never without work. However, when a person with ideal qualities is, they often use their personal and professional connections first. That could and should be you!
• The last rule of recruiting is to maintain good ethics in the form of not recruiting from competitors, refusing to speak negatively of competitors and being known for a superior reputation, telling the truth and practicing integrity in business. These are things an upstanding employee looks for in an employer.    

Is your company ready to recruit top employees?

In her workshop notes, Kristine Sexter urged manufacturers to re-evaluate how recruiting dollars and time were being spent. Was money and time being used wisely to improve or boost external hiring within the areas of referrals, the website’s career page, job boards or tech centers? Was the company being portrayed as an honest business with much to offer?

If you have questions about how your company can improve its recruiting strategies and are interested in hearing from an engaging, leading expert in human resources, please consider attending part two of “Where to Put Your 2016 Recruiting Dollars: Step-by-Step Proven Approaches!” on Tuesday, October 27th at 11:30 a.m. – 1 at the MidAmerica Expo Center. The cost is only $39, but the knowledge you will walk away with is priceless. Space is limited, so our friends at MidAmerica ask that you please RSVP by emailing Tonya Backward at TBackward@maip.com or calling (918) 825-3500.

We look forward to seeing you there!

______________________________________________________________________________

SOURCE: Kristine Sexter, Award-winning Industrial and Organizational Consultant

Kristine A. Sexter, President of WorkWise Productions and FindTrainKeep, is an industrial and organizational consultant who has devoted over 22 years to studying success and professional commitment. With an extensive background in recruiting, developing, and retaining top talent, Kristine expertly serves the manufacturing, healthcare and human resources industries with acclaimed results.

Leaders, managers, educators, and success-oriented people have recognized her measurably effective training and consulting programs and is renowned for her enthusiastic and customized strategies for creating award-winning workplace cultures. The Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturers has called her, “‘THE’ authority in teaching executives and leadership teams how to find, train and keep great employees.”

Ms. Sexter is a professional speaker, consultant, and columnist and is the author of six books, including “Rolling Out the Recognition: Employee Retention Strategies for Manufacturers.”

Kristine is a member of the esteemed National Speakers Association, is the Past President of the Oklahoma Speakers Association, was twice-honored as the Speaker of the Year, and is an Honors Graduate of The College of New Jersey. While born and educated on the east coast, Kristine considers Tulsa, Oklahoma her home, having lived there since 1986 (but she really misses the pizza and the ocean!). www.KristineSexter.com (918) 361-3000 email:Kristine@KristineSexter.com