by Marnie Jones, founder Talent X
It’s no question that certain industries are struggling to find talent right now in Australia. Although there are real solutions to this problem, I have found, as the head of Talent X, that most owners are unwilling to explore them.
Today, I’m presenting a solution that could set you miles ahead of your competitors, give you an ever-flowing stream of candidates at your fingertips whenever you need them, and increase the longevity of your staff, no matter what industry you are in.
You probably won’t like this solution because it is hard work… but at least now you have an option you may not have heard of that could revolutionise the way you hire.
SOLUTION: The single biggest factor that could break open your hiring role is widening your criteria. And the best, most valuable way to do this is to create a Training Program to upskill candidates and open the role to more junior candidates.
Why Companies Are Reluctant to Create Training Programs
Almost every single company that comes to me, challenged for finding staff, refuses to train anyone new. “I want someone who is already trained”, they say.
Although I completely understand this, we are now in an age where, as owners, we must take responsibility for training new team members if we are to have any great staff at all.
We can’t always expect other companies to be the training ground – that’s just hypocritical.
Of course, there are pros and cons to this, but here is how I see it:
The second route is harder, no doubt. But it opens the door to building a team that would cost you much, much less to build, allows you to cultivate the culture you want, and expands your authority in the market.
When you take the second route, you can have your choice. You never have to throw money at someone to convince them to join your team and aren’t in the same race your competitors are in.
Your focus becomes finding someone who has proven they can learn and who has transferable skills that the role requires such as communication, attention to detail, customer service, etc.
If you build your own Training Program and really spend the time figuring it out, you can have a pool of candidates to choose from at any one time. Spend 6 months of hard work really nailing your training program and you won’t be at the whim of the candidate market ever again.
Take the first route and you will most definitely be controlled by the market and your growth will be restricted. Of course, this may be tricky for some roles that require technical experience, but try where you can.
How to Create the Ultimate Training Program
Here are my top tips for creating the ultimate Training Program:
- It helps to add to all staff contracts that they will be required to upskill their teammates as a part of their role. This way, you can share the workload of training.
- Define each level of expertise so there is a clear path, and attach bonuses to it. For example, I created a series of Competency Statuses that start from novice and move up to master. I define each status and have an increased bonus at each level.
- Build an online course. Don’t get too serious about it, just lay out the most vital things they would need to know in sequence. I have built an online course for my team that can get someone up and running in 2 weeks with absolutely no experience.
- When hiring, focus on finding those Overachievers who have gone above and beyond in their roles and Reference Check them so thoroughly that you feel you have a grasp on their true value. Then train them on the rest and incentivize them with bonuses. They will appreciate the role more than anyone else ever would (plus they’re cheaper).
The Bottom Line
In most cases, taking the second route of creating a training program is the most rewarding and makes the most sense if you’re working to build a dream team.
Imagine building such an amazing Training Program that if your candidates leave you at any point in the future, your competitors will prioritise any candidates that come from doing your training because it is so good.
This would elevate your position in your field. Not to mention the brand awareness you would gain as an employer, with word of mouth spreading about how you give people a chance to grow in their careers.
Whether you like it or not, the businesses that want to make it long-term have to start taking responsibility for the experience shortage and provide a robust Training Program to candidates with potential.
If you’d like to learn even more about our approach to recruiting and more, visit the Talent X website or take a look at our Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or YouTube.