How HR can become leaders in workforce management in 2010

Posted by: Doug Lubin

A new survey by the Conference Board Research Group found that only 45 percent of Americans are satisfied with their work, the lowest level ever recorded by the group. Look around. This means that if you’re not dissatisfied, the person sitting next to you probably is. Or, more importantly, someone who works for you is probably unhappy and ready to leave his or her job.

Temporary staffing is typically a leading indicator, and we see dissatisfaction and job movement as a lagging indicator. When we start to see satisfaction tick up, with fewer people leaving voluntarily, it will be a pretty good indication that we are truly in the midst of a recovery.

For now, we’re left wrestling with why this is happening. Paraphrasing one of my favorite lines from the movie Fletch Lives, figuring out that people don’t like more work, less pay, layoffs, no bonuses, etc. doesn’t take Sherlock Holmes to figure out … Larry Holmes could’ve figured that one out.

Here are a couple of the broader issues as I see them.

• In late 2008, most people were probably happy to be employed and glad they weren’t the first to go. As we moved into 2009, the remaining staff was saddled with more duties and this “lucky to be here” feeling starting to wear thin. As it became apparent that things weren’t getting better, they started to look for other opportunities, both because of job dissastifaction and because their paychecks weren’t getting any bigger.
• For younger workers who were promised greener pastures and great opportunities when they entered the job market, the reality they found was much different, and taking (or keeping) a low-level job became their only option. Worse yet, for older workers who were keeping an eye on their slowly recovering 401(k) accounts, they may not have wanted to work in the first place, much less at a low level job, or for less pay, and longer hours.

So, while these issues may not be a big surprise to HR professionals, the question becomes: How can your organization deal with them, particularly in this economy?

Now is a great time to show some leadership in workforce management. Here are a few suggestions for doing so:

• Engage your workers now. Take a look at what’s motivating (or not motivating) your workers, and show them that while we are all in the same boat, at least you’re willing to listen. Better yet, make sure your managers are engaging your workers. A lot of people leave their managers, not their jobs. Train your managers to listen to workers’ concerns and find creative ways to react.
• Look for short- and long-term options for augmenting your workforce. Vacancies hurt morale. Overworked employees may feel hopeless. Look beyond the hiring freeze to temporary workers or independent contractors. Build a case for even short-term staff augmentation to get projects moving now. Helping to create some momentum in the business can have a great impact on worker satisfaction.
• Review your workforce strategy and mix. This is important any time, but now is a perfect opportunity to look back at how you dealt with the past 18 months and prior, when hiring was robust. When things pick up will you go back to business as usual, or have your skill requirements changed? Where will you spend your time when things pick up? Do you have the staff, or are some things, like recruiting or vendor management better outsourced?

On that last point, one of the things we’ve seen with our customers is that chaos often ensues once hiring picks up. Suppliers are not aligned with needs, in some cases needs have changed, and compliance goes out the window in favor of expediency. This leads to hiring manger dissastisfaction and increased risk, both of which can doom your workforce management efforts.

As we pick up the pieces of 2009 and move ahead, there’s tremendous opportunity for those poised to take advantage. Leading is about looking forward with an eye on the lessons of the past. If you can retain your performers (maybe even attract a few), and you have a workforce strategy that is agile and flexible, you’ll be a leader in the one area that really matters — talent.