This week I had an interesting conversation on Talk Business With Howard radio with Gary Swart, the CEO of oDesk, on the evolving employment model, Work 3.0.
To paraphrase the Bob Dylan song: “… these times, they are a changing”. And they are – especially with how people work and how companies hire. Every CEO, president and business owner should take 45 minutes and listen to what Gary has to say about the future of work. Not only did he share fascinating data but also very beneficial information on how the workplace is changing due to the economy, technology and mindset of both the employer and the employee – or eContractor.
A replay of the show is available here for your listening convenience.
Toward the end of the show, Gary briefly mentioned how hiring needs to fit in with a company’s business strategy.
How true that statement is.
Often hiring is part of a knee jerk reaction. For example, someone unexpectedly leaves the company and leaves a potentially big gap in an organization. Or there’s a sudden positive shift in the business and additional employees are necessary to meet production needs. I’ve also seen many times where positions are left open or not created till it becomes a situation of desperation. A rule to remember about hiring: never hire in desperation. Why? Because often the wrong candidate is hired which only creates other business problems.
Just as with all the other key segments of your business, hiring qualified, talented people as well as employee management and training needs to be part of your business strategy. When you are reviewing your business plan each month or each quarter include a section specific to your company’s personnel needs.
This leads to a bigger question for you to consider.
No matter what it is in your business, as the CEO, president or business owner, you need to ask:
Does it fit into the company’s business strategy?
Often we lose sight of this and plow ahead where perhaps we shouldn’t.
Always consider the big picture and how it fits in with the company goals. Is the timing right?
Of course, in business, as you know, things happen. That’s when you re-evaluate. But it still must fit in with the company’s business strategy. Otherwise, the company can lose its way on the pathway to success.