In speaking with the business community in my first weeks since joining the South Australian Business Chamber, the one message that has been consistent across all sectors of the economy is that the skills shortage is a significant issue. We know that South Australia is not alone in finding skilled workers, this is a national and international problem. With borders shut in most countries over the COVID-19 period, skilled migration volumes dramatically decreased. Australia experienced a sharp drop in skilled migration, which saw 380,000 fewer people enter the workforce at the cost of $32 billion to the Australian economy (RMIT Online and Deloitte Access Economics 2022).
With a widely reported ‘talent shortage’ crossing over with ‘the great resignation’, building teams and retaining them is challenging for South Australian businesses. So what can be done? Government-led skills development programs and investments into apprenticeships and trainees supported by a proactive skilled migration campaign all make good sense at the macro level. They will also take time to kick in.
But what about right here, right now? It is equally as important for business operators to distinguish themselves in the marketplace as an employer as it is to develop their customer brand. In fact, in 2022, the two are inextricably linked in a way they have never been before. Your reputation as a good employer – and all that entails — is critical to attracting and retaining good people.
What constitutes a ‘good employer’ continues to evolve. Workplace conditions, flexibility around hours and working from home, opportunities for progression, promotion and collaboration and progressive actions on environmental sustainability and diversity all work towards creating the employer brand and ultimately a workplace culture.
Once a by-product of HR activities and an active staff social club, workplace culture is now front and centre and studied in renowned business schools across the globe. One of my favourite definitions of the topic is that culture is ‘what staff do when no one is watching’. I also like to think of culture as a hungry beast that needs to be constantly fed. It needs investment, both financial and physical resources, to keep it happy. With business owners and managers busy in the day-to-day, it is often the first thing that falls away, which is why workplace culture needs to be driven across an entire business. I can speak from experience that it is never too hard to find cheerleaders within a business to help drive culture and keep you honest if distractions see it fall off the radar.
Importantly, for business owners, culture is one area they can control in a bid to attract and retain staff. Done well, few investments will offer a greater return.
