HUMAN RESOURCES

1 . Not feeling valued by their organizations ( 54 percent ) 2 . Not feeling valued by their managers ( 52 percent ) 3 . Employees did not feel a sense of belonging at work ( 51 percent )

Unfortunately , those reasons don ’ t appear to be where most companies or organizations are putting their efforts to attract and retain employees . Conversations around business tables and across industries are focused on pay and sign-on bonuses , continuing to favor years of experience and ability to work nights / weekends , as well as preferences for primarily in-person work . Leaders are feeling desperate but not ready or always willing to adjust their expectations .

By Chelsey Paulson

The war on talent is real , and it doesn ’ t appear to be getting better anytime soon . This workforce challenge has been a significant pain point for many business leaders . The answer to this issue is not simple or easy , and it ’ s certainly not found in the way we ’ ve always been doing things . The solution is multi-faceted and requires a people-centric approach with a healthy dose of curiosity and creativity .

THE FACTS According to a report published by McKinsey & Company in September 2021 , more than 19 million people have quit their jobs since April 2021 . Among the employees in their survey , 36 percent who quit in the past six months did so without having a new job in hand . In addition , of those who were somewhat likely to leave in three to six months , nearly two-thirds would leave without a new job lined up .

Now is a really good time to get curious . Why would a person leave a steady paycheck in the middle of a seemingly volatile , uncertain , complex and ambiguous world ? McKinsey & Company cited three top drivers for leaving :

WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT Curiosity is a requirement for today ’ s leadership . Curiosity is a superpower that helps us better understand the perspectives of others while opening our creativity to find new ways of doing things . Leaders need to show curiosity by dipping into the psychology of people and designing an authentic and healthy workplace .

Lead with purpose . Employees want to be part of something that matters — to feel they are adding value and contributing to a bigger purpose . Leaders must first understand the purpose , or the why , behind the company / organization . Then , leaders need to communicate the organization ’ s purpose clearly and consistently to their teams and how each employee impacts the purpose . Human Resources is a team effort . Managers must be involved in sourcing and recruiting because they know the work — and the workers — the best . Ask leaders to source their networks and support the organization ’ s social media posts . Reach into the employee base and ask the same ; help them be successful by giving them communication / position information to share . Help leaders expand their definition of what a qualified candidate can look like . When you start to look at the work differently , you may find more qualified workers could be retirees , disabled , students or those only interested in temporary hours .

26 SportsField Management | August 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com