FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
It’s No Secret That It’s an “Employee’s Market"
Vancouver, BC (September, 2007): Employers are spending time and effort like never before on trying to attract and retain people in a labour environment where $500 signing bonuses for even entry level jobs are becoming increasingly common.
“It may be a good way to get employees in the door, but if they take the job only for the money, they won’t stay for long,” says corporate coach Eitan Sharir, President of Vancouver-based Dynamic Achievement. “You have to wonder what kind of effect this labour environment will have on career development in the long term. Lucrative job offers may be a good way to attract employees, but if they are to become ‘career employees’, they need to stay around long enough to find a way to tap into their potential and develop it.”
“The sad thing is many employees have little real interest in their jobs and employers are sometimes to blame,” Sharir says. “When employees don’t care about their work, they become passive, avoid making decisions, follow orders even when they are wrong and often leave their potential creative capabilities outside the office door. That’s a disservice to both the employee and the employer.”
Sharir, who counts TELUS, Interior Savings Credit Union, and a number of international companies among his career development clients, says a simple five step plan can help any employer inspire team members to maximize their individual potential:
1. Let people know that they matter
When people feel trusted, their self-confidence is strengthened and they become motivated to do the best that they can. Set aside one-on-one time with each team member on a regular basis and demonstrate that you truly believe that each person has something important and special to contribute.
2. Make clear to them your vision of success
Team members need to be very clear what ‘success’ means to the employer in measurable, tangible terms, so they can gear themselves to take action in a focused direction.
Creativity, innovation and passion do not thrive in an environment that is judgemental, secretive or punitive. Create a ‘coaching environment’ where team members feel free to ask questions. When offering corrective feedback, ensure that it’s done constructively, without put-downs or criticism. Make a point of noticing great work in each of your team members every day.
4. Ongoing development
It is vital that team members develop their own specific talents and capabilities. This sometimes means assisting them in closing any gaps that need attention. Continual development taps into previously unrecognized or unused potential and brings about a personal sense of achievement.
5. Finally, the big one…Alignment
Ensure that everyone on the team considers their work as something they simply ‘do’, as naturally as eating and breathing – instead of ‘just having a job’. Their goals should be aligned with the goals of the organization.
“Believe it or not, some managers still regard team culture as a fuzzy element not worth developing,” Sharir adds. “From experience, I can tell you that enlightened leaders find it pays off, both in terms of competitive advantage and the company’s bottom line, when they put in the time and effort to get everyone pulling in the same direction.”
About Dynamic Achievement
Dynamic Achievement is a leading superior performance and corporate development firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia. For the past 13 years they have been helping the world’s top corporations improve the results and quality of performance in every area of their business. Dynamic Achievement incorporates a unique methodology, philosophy and approach towards achieving results. They focus on the core levels of both the individual and the organization and, as a result, produce immediate, significant and long lasting success.
Media contact:
Eitan Sharir, President
Dynamic Achievement Group
Phone: (604) 926-6465
E-mail: eitan@dynamicachievement.com
www.dynamicachievement.com
