Among many business experts, the common belief is that when hiring people in organizations, they should try their hardest to retain their employees for a long time as possible. We’ve heard of business consultants who advise business owners to provide the kind of compensation that was absent two decades ago. We’ve been hearing a lot about work-life balance and achieving wellness in the workforce. Employers are being forced to provide a safe, functional, and equitable space for their employees. No longer is paying them well enough. Employers need to give more.
Although this employee-centered approach to business management is welcome after years of workers toiling for organizations, it comes with its price. How can businesses continue growing if they have the same people in their midst? How can your employees develop their skills and earn more experience if they spend all their time with the same set of people? Growth is a fickle thing. Even for businesses, growth isn’t freely given. Organizations must earn it especially in hiring new people.
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Hire New People
One of the least popular ways for a business to grow is to hire new people. Bringing or hiring new employees is often seen as a waste of time and resources. After all, organizations will need to train these new employees, test if they fit the office culture, and watch as they make those expected first mistakes. But as seen with how Singapore’s SMRT handled the crisis they went through, new people may just be what your business needs, too.
In August 2018, Neo Kian Hong took the helms to become SMRT CEO. One of the first steps he took was to get down to business. There was no time to dilly-dally. He has to know the problems the company is facing right at that moment. So, he went to work, even going so far as to sell his car and take the train every day to work. This, he said, allows him to know what problems the commuters are facing. It gives him a first-hand look at the daily problems the company can encounter.
He didn’t stop there. Mr. Neo personally visited the tracks and engaged the workers there. He said that one of the main problems of every organization is the culture of blaming. From owners down to the last name on the payroll, everyone is always finding ways to blame someone for mistakes that all should claim as their own. This culture of blaming needs to stop, he claimed, because it doesn’t make the company inclusive of all its workers. It will breed mistrust, and mistrust will lead to failure.
Fresh Perspective
Such is a new perspective for a company criticized by many Singaporeans before. When Mr. Neo took over, he decided this blame game has to stop. He saw how workers toiled on those tracks. This newfound appreciation and respect for their jobs make workers feel that the company values their contribution. This is something new to the culture of SMRT. As a new hire, Mr. Neo brought his own values and work ethic to the company. These were sorely missing in the past.
Eagerness
New employees are eager to learn. They want to impress their bosses and co-workers. They want to do their part in the company. When you ask the employees to train for a special skill, new hires will be the first to sign up. While loyalty should always be rewarded, it’s hard to beat the eagerness of new hires to prove themselves. They’ve entered the company with only their curriculum vitae as their passports, so all they want once they set foot there is to prove they belong.
This eagerness is always a positive thing, and with the exemption of a few, only a handful of tenured employees are as eager as new hires. Why is eagerness a factor for growth? It leads to growth because these new employees will think of new ways. They will be more innovative. They are focused on coming up with ideas that managers haven’t heard before. Isn’t that the basis of progress? The ability of organizations to adapt to new things and come up with fresh ideas is the way to success.
Of course, when hiring or your need to hire new employees doesn’t mean you have to let go of your current ones. Tenured employees have proven themselves to be loyal. What’s important is that you recognize that both employees—new and old ones—can help your business grow if you give them a chance. With the proper support and resources, your employees can help propel your business to success.
