Solutions for the HR Challenges Keeping Us Awake

In February 2021, our 13 Round Tables shared solutions surrounding the human resources challenges our business are facing today. For your convenience, notes from the chapter meetings have been recorded below for you to review. 

Key ideas and solutions shared by our Round Tables:

• Working from home is a skill—some are successful, but some do not have the focus or motivation to work independently.  Connection with employees through virtual methods can help monitor activity.  One suggestion is to hold the entire workday on Zoom; i.e. employees available to each other for collaboration at all times during the workday. “Start Zooming the whole office.” For some businesses, the idea that “If you’re not on screen, you’re not working” might be appropriate.  Visual meeting formats may also engage employees to a greater degree. 
• Leadership may be using COVID as an excuse for staffing changes.  Instead, we should be using this time to identify and fix organizational flaws and problems.
• Anxiety in employees.  High emotion and fear are present in our workplaces today.  Conduct 1:1 conversations with employees to understand and address issues.
• How do we return to productivity?  Results matter.  Leaders must have clearly defined responsibilities for their teams.  Every company is different, but leaders must define, track and follow up on goals and expectations.  Be clear what roles must be done on-site.  Utilize daily targets and goals.
• What’s the plan to get people back into the physical workplace?  “Come on in, the water’s fine!” 
• Waiting culture.  As leaders, we need to be decision-makers and a driver for business success.     When we are “stuck” and cannot find a way to move forward, we need to turn to God to ask what HE wants us to do in the next 24 hours.  Then hopefully He’ll give us another 24.
• From the Global Round Table:  Employee attendance issues.  Many jobs are available, but people are not showing up/doing quality work.  Solution:  Continue to keep your funnel of potential employees full.  Keep hiring, keep potential hires engaged.
• Returning your team to business passion—where is your fire?  It may be time to return to cracking the whip while being as compassionate as you can be to move forward.  Offer empathy and support for employee concerns as reasonable. We need to change the direction of waiting and disconnection in our teams.
• Overcommunicate on the issues that drive business performance. 

Other ideas: 

• Human Resources/people discussions at the Round Tables also led to open discussion on general business struggles like keeping the faith during what is for some a challenging business climate.
• Additional comments from Birmingham RT:  CBRT attendance by virtual means today lends itself to greater relationship investment—the leaders in attendance clearly truly want to be here.  CBRT is here to help participants solve problems and support each other as we lead in Christ.

Our first Leadership Event in 2021 will be a Global Webinar on Friday, February 26 at 7:30am.  See the Events Page to register for this FREE event.  If you are unable to attend, subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can review all past event presentations.

CBRT Round Table venues will be changing again for March—for the latest, always check our website for your group details.  Options will include hybrid, in-person only or online only.  

Join us at an upcoming Round Table meeting!  RSVP to info@thebusinessrt.org to receive a meeting link.