Whether your company is retrenching or recruiting, now is the best time to ‘get going’ and invest in your workforce.

You might think it’s crazy to suggest that you spend more money on your workforce in a time of economic down-turn. Bear with me, and read on.

Cutting Costs

In times of drought, farmers need to carefully consider costs, e.g. “Do I or do I not sell livestock when the going gets tough? Then I’ll have to buy them back when times pick up…”

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Think about how companies tend to react when the going gets tough.

Yes, you guessed it! The first thing that often happens when the going gets tough is, in comes the ‘razor gang’ and cost cutting and, yes, you guessed it again, the first item on their agenda is cutting staff related costs, e.g. support/training, mentoring program and/or team building workshops etc. If this is your approach, perhaps you should think again.

Workforce

Wouldn’t you prefer your workforce fit, stimulated and at its peak, especially at a time when they need to be more competitive than ever?

When the going gets tough, it is vital to have a workforce working as hard and productively as possible and, for them to remain focused and motivated no matter what role they play in keeping your business on track.

Down turns are cyclical. We’ve had them before and, no doubt, we’ll have them again. But they can also provide us with valuable time to prepare ourselves for the next boom period.

The most progressive, confident and successful companies are taking the initiative, not only to retain, develop and ready their workforce, but also to attract the best talent from competitors.

In the past, employee loyalty was not as much of an issue. People tended to stick with their employer through thick and thin. No more! These days, the workplace is much more complex, with younger generations having different attitudes to work and employers, and far less loyalty. Whatever you can do to retain good people will reap benefits for your business. Remember, it costs a lot more to replace someone than it does to retain them and invest in their personal development.

Communications

Communication, if not effective, can become a big problem when the going gets tough. The higher the quality of information, the less likelihood of anxiety leading to a down-turn in morale, which in turn has a negative affect on performance.

Customer Relations

When the going gets tough, the more value and better service you can offer your customers, the more likely you will retain their business.

Management Systems

Do you have the management systems that you need to succeed? Successful organisations tend to have more integrated management systems that address most of the issues and requirements, enable a more streamlined flow of information, increase efficiency, and reduce risks, cost, time and disruption. So when the going gets tough, seize the opportunity to revise and develop your management systems.

Recruitment

When the going gets tough, get with the strength and select a recruitment company that stands out from the competition.

A recruitment company that knows, understands and specialises in your industry — the pipeline industry. One who is actively involved and listens to its ind- ustry, its association, leaders and members.

Last, but not least, choose a recruitment company with professional consultants that attend your professional development functions to keep abreast with the industry – who’s doing what and what’s going on so they have the knowledge to offer sound advice and/or find you the right candidate.