Johannesburg, 18 May 2022
Let’s think property for a moment. We often look at the space in terms of a buyer's or a seller's market – depending on the climate, one side usually has an upper hand at any one time. Sadly, we’ve looked at the employment market in a similar way to the detriment of the employer-employee relationship and, traditionally, the employer has enjoyed the advantage.
But times have changed and continue to change. Hyper-accelerated by the pandemic (with a proven precedent for flexibility and the resulting digital momentum) and Gen Z attitudes to work, there is a shift towards the needs of the employee.
Following the Great Work-from-Home Experiment and the Great Resignation, today’s employee is self-empowered as never before – they know what they want, and they are willing to move on until they get it. Now, to win key skills and experience, the employer needs to step up and re-imagine its approach to employment. The hard approach no longer works – it’s time for a softer touch.
It’s crucial for the company to stop talking and start listening. Today’s worker wants flexibility and is willing to seek it out. Employers need to present themselves as the most attractive choice – and then live up to their words – in order to attract and retain the skills they need to be competitive.
Instead of being clocked-in-and-out, the 21st century employer wants the flexibility to build work-life balance, be trusted to achieve that and have the support to develop into their best version of themselves. They are looking for an outcomes-based relationship, rather than a micro-managing, input-measuring controller.
Flexibility is the easiest to understand. Hybrid models of work are the new name of the game. In order to recruit and retain critical skills, flexible structures (such as, stop forcing working times onto people and ask them what would work best for their way to add value) and flexible policies (for example, let’s quit imposing retirement funds on people and let them manage their future, their way) must be prioritised. This is not going anywhere, and it is at a company’s own risk to ignore the movement.
Trust is a little more complicated. Of course, trust is a two-way street and calls on the employee to be responsible in order for it to work. But perhaps the trick is to give every employee the benefit of the doubt, until proven otherwise – instead of what we as employers tend to default to. Modern talent demand flexibility, trust and empowerment. The employer must supply this in order to meet its demand with the necessary supply of skills.
Empowerment is the most multi-faceted and requires a unique but intentional approach from organisations. It includes the necessity to institutionalise well-being support for employees, the opportunity to take on a renewed focus on mentoring and benefits, and the challenge to foster an environment that celebrates diverse thinking and invites the employee to take a more active role in decision-making that affects them.
This three-pronged approach – flexibility, trust and empowerment – help to achieve balance between the employee and employer. No one needs the upper hand when there is a serious commitment to seeking out a win-win arrangement for both parties.
Because at the end of the day, happy employees create happy customers and happy customers are good for your bottom line. You may think that customer acquisition is the be-all and end-all, but sales start and finish with your greatest asset: your people. Employee experience equals customer experience. The reward speaks for itself.
Just so, the risk couldn’t be clearer. Stick with outdated approaches and face the prospect of losing the critical skills you need for success. Losing the talent war is no longer an option – are you geared up to win?
Contact msleads@altron.com
Altron Managed Solutions
20 Woodlands Drive,
Woodmead, Sandton Gauteng,
South Africa
PO Box 3591, Johannesburg, 2000, Gauteng, South Africa
www.altronmanagedsolutions.co.za
(+27) 11 373 4000
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