Where Did They Go? Tracking Talent in Tough Times

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My blueberry muffin vanished one day. I set it down on the end table by the couch and went to get a cup of coffee. When I returned to the couch, I was astonished to find that the muffin was gone with only a few crumbs left on the plate. I looked around mystified, only to find next to the table was one of my pups with a happy face and licking her chops.

Today a common question for leaders is, “where did they go?” Prior to the pandemic, many employers were used to filling positions by simply posting a job online or by word-of-mouth. But now those recruitment tactics don’t work which in turn makes the workforce shortage even worse.

Like the mystery of the disappearing muffin, to find the answers we need to follow the crumbs.

When the world was thrust into a health and economic crisis’s, different workforce patterns began to take shape. Remote work rose to the top of concern while organizations were also shifting customer to online or parking lot pick-up methods of shopping. People migrating away from large metropolitan areas accelerated. People continue to move to wide open spaces with low cost of living areas to live. In addition, technology is rapidly changing how and where we work.

The shifting patterns above suggest the question isn’t, “where did they go,” but “how did they change?” Since the pandemic, all of us have grappled with the reality that life is short. When faced with that reality -- priorities changed. Spending more time with what matters the most is no longer optional. Technology makes that priority demand possible and increases pressure on employers to think differently when it comes to recruiting and retaining talent.

In this new era to develop an effective workforce shortage strategy consider stepping back and assess how has your ideal candidate or employee have changed by asking these questions:

What are their priorities today?
What are their anxieties?
When they quit your organization where are they going? Why?
Are they staying in the same industry or trying something new? Why?
Are they leaving the workforce to take care the demands of life? (i.e.: children, elders, or themselves)?
When they leave do they come back?

To overcome workforce shortages it is time to reimagine the methods to recruit and retain talent today. Taking fresh multifaceted approaches is on deck. Savvy leaders recognize that disruption is a golden opportunity to redesign positions, organizational cultures, recruitment processes, or re-examining retention methods.

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Tresha Moreland

Tresha Moreland is a 30-year organizational effectiveness and strategic workforce planning expert. She partners with business leaders to develop workplace strategies that achieve best-in-class results. She has held key organizational leadership roles in multiple industries such as manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality, and healthcare. Tresha is the founder and principal consultant of HR C-Suite, LLC (www.hrcsuite.com). HR C-Suite is a results-based HR strategy resource dedicated to connecting HR with business results. She has received a master’s degree in human resource management (MS) and a master’s degree in business administration (MBA). She has also earned a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Six Sigma Black Belt Professional (SSBBP) Certification. She is also recognized as a Fellow with the American College Healthcare Executives with a FACHE designation.