The Movers and Storers Show in November included the Seminar Theatre, giving attendees the opportunity to listen to industry speakers and join in debates on a range of subjects topical for the industry.
The first was Recruiting, training and retaining people in the current climate. Speakers were Ian Studd (BAR), Caroline Sears (Red Recruit) and Andrew Pearson (Andrew Pearson Training).
Ian Studd: a once-in-a-generation opportunity
Ian Studd, Director General BAR (British Association of Removers), set the scene for the session. He said that staffing is not a new issue, but the twin impact of Brexit and the pandemic have exaggerated staffing issues and recruitment and retention strategies. “Many movers are working at 80-90% of fleet capacity because they haven’t got the crews to staff the vehicles,” he said. He likened looking for staff for the moving industry to ‘fishing in a very small pond when everyone else has had their share’.
“In my opinion it’s time for a change,” he said. “Because of the last 18 months, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to influence that change and recognise our people for what they are: professional trades people. The power to do that lies in our hands.”
Ian explained that we have seen an enormous focus on work/life balance. He said that in the past staff expected to work 70 hours a week. “That’s not what the people of today want. They have social lives and families; that needs to be recognised in our employment strategies.”
He said that rather than only focus on the job and the pay, we need to look more closely at what people want from their job. “We need to consider how we can structure contracts of employment to address that work/life balance issue,” he said, adding that those strategies need to focus on describing career opportunities rather than just jobs.
“You need to demonstrate to candidates how you can help them to progress along that career path,” said Ian. He added that by committing to training and CPD (Continuous Personal Development) programmes it will help focus on how they can become better employees and deliver better value. “For many of us career progression has been accidental. But if we can start to describe meaningful career pathways then it will encourage and engage with candidates much more.”
Ian believed that we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in people because public awareness of the issues of recruitment has never been greater. “We have this opportunity to invest in our people in the sure knowledge that the public understands why,” he said. Ian suggested that companies look for transferrable skills when recruiting, considering candidates from other industries.
Of course, investing in people costs money, so Ian said that the industry needed to hold its nerve. “The pricing level last year has generally gone up,” he said. “Profits are better, and we are actually getting paid properly for what we do. I would encourage everybody to hang on to that. Let’s not get into a race to the bottom the minute the market quietens off because, if we do that, we are not going to be able to invest in our people and our businesses.” Ian said that BAR is doing a huge amount of lobbying to government to help the industry be viewed as a professional trade in its own right.
He closed with a quote from Sir Winston Churchill: ‘The pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity whereas the optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty’. “We have that once-in-a-generation opportunity now to really invest in our staff and develop their capabilities,” he said.
Caroline Sears: time kills all deals
Caroline Sears, from Red Recruit, has many years of experience in the recruitment business. She explained that the market for recruitment is currently very difficult but had some valuable suggestions on how you can improve the chances of finding the right people for your company. “It’s now even more important to find the right people,” she said. “It’s a tough challenge but not impossible.”
Caroline said that it’s important to understand what problem you are trying to fix with the new appointment. “Ask yourself what would be the effect on your business if you were unable to find the right person. If it would not cause the business pain, don’t hire.”
“Experience does not always ensure a good hire,” explained Caroline. She said that it doesn’t, in itself, show the quality of candidate. It might be better for you to look outside the industry for people who have the skills you need and train them to do the job. For example, people who had previously worked in estate agency might make very good estimators, with the right training. “Broaden the pool of candidates,” she said. “The bigger the pool, the better choice you have.”
Prepare a road map for the position, including a full job description and include the reasons why the candidate should join your company. Caroline said that people rarely leave a company because of money alone. “The main reason is because they were not appreciated,” explained Caroline. “If you show that you appreciate your employees’ work, they will be less likely to leave and will give good reports on social media about working with your company. Social media and your staff can do the recruiting for you.”
Employees want many things from their work so it’s important to find out what motivates them. These factors can include: work/life balance, flexible working patterns and prospects. “If you understand the priorities of why people are considering moving jobs you can attract them to join your company.”
Once a suitable candidate is identified, Caroline said that speed of response is important. Very often candidates may have been invited to six interviews but have accepted a new position by interview two or three. “Act quickly,” she said. “Time kills all deals.” Once an offer has been made, keep in close touch with the candidate and expect a counter offer from the candidate’s employer. It’s important, at this stage, for the candidate to be fully aware of the wider opportunities with your company, not just money.
After a new employee has joined, make sure they have a mentor to guide them and keep them interested. “It’s worth the effort to keep them happy,” said Caroline.
Finally, Caroline said that it is important to look internally for candidates. “In our frantic rush to employ new people we often overlook our own team,” she said. “It’s easier to promote from within then look for someone to fill the lower-level position. It’s also inspiring to other employees to see their colleagues stepping up.”
Andrew Pearson: Don’t lose your shining star
Andrew Pearson, from Andrew Pearson Training, talked about training your own talent. He started by saying that companies have many reasons for not training their people. Typical attitudes are that it’s too expensive, the people might leave the company, they can learn from more experienced staff, and that they don’t have time.
Andrew acknowledged that there is a cost to training, but the benefits far outstrip the investment. He said that every training course is designed to help people by making things easier for them, by teaching new skills, introducing new equipment and allowing them to become familiar with new materials. “This will make more profit for you,” said Andrew.
Training also provides consistency within the business. Having everyone working in the same way not only looks good to customers but helps new recruits because they only have one way to follow. If they are being trained by other staff members they could be trained differently from one day to another. “New starters feel lost because different people teach them in different ways. They don’t know which is right. Consistency is important. Having a good team around you makes for a much easier day. If you help a new member of staff on day one, they will be more use to you on day two.”
Andrew said that when staff are properly trained, they are more likely to meet customer expectations and be happier and more comfortable in their work. “The fact that all your staff are fully trained is also a good selling point.”
“I believe that every one of your employees is a reflection of you and your company,” said Andrew. “You just can’t be on every job as you grow. You need to create first-class teams.”
He said that you don’t get to the top of your game by chance. “The more you invest in training, the better your staff will be. We want our industry to be viewed as professional, and it’s only us that are in control of this.”
Finally, he asked what could happen if you don’t invest in staff. “How many man hours are lost because of inefficiency?” he said, adding, probably more importantly, “We need to invest in people to retain them. You are in charge of the future of your company and you never know who the next shining star is going to be. So don’t lose them to someone else.”
