Wizard of Oz world…
The world has changed, your business has changed, and you too, have changed. It’s time to face facts though, your staff who have been furloughed (a stressful talent seeping holiday, filled with worry & uncertainty) probably haven’t changed. In fact, they may have got rusty, or worse!
The changes have been super positive for everything except your staff. Businesses have been restructured and refinanced, brand position, marketing and messaging have been redressed, and we’ve all had a chance to become leaner, more focused and most importantly more consultancy biased. However, think about the people who have been at home watching Lorraine and sitting on their hands in their gardens… they are going to be headless chickens for a bit.
Forgive my indulgence, but the Wizard of Oz analogy is likely to describe your teams returning from furlough…
There are the Lions without COURAGE… these guys are the nervous ones; scared to pick up the phone with confidence and bold belief – this is a problem in the times ahead. There are the Scarecrows without a BRAIN… these guys are the ones who continue to believe that what they have always done, will work regardless and this is obviously nuts in the new world! After all, ‘We’re not in Kansas anymore”!
There are the Tin Men without a HEART… these guys are beaten up because they were furloughed, bitter and twisted because they had to be “rested” and that’s affected their love for the sector, brand and boss – these people instantly become negative influences (drains) and should be identified and exited within days of return. If this analogy doesn’t float your boat think about Liverpool FC, Klopp won’t play the same team he finished with before lock down for sure because too many of those players won’t be in the right zone coming back and some super stars might never play for them again because they can’t shake off the rust!
My advice to Recruitment Business Leader’s is to not carry a soul for a day let alone weeks or months! The opportunity for Recruiters to get new jobs any and everywhere has diminished and anyone who can’t see that and be willing to fight for a desk needs to be doing another job!
I would also advise brands to bring back talent ASAP! This is your chance sort things out internally; de-rust, re-train, practice and graft so that you can maximise bounce back and nail this amazing moment in time!
The killer app is to build confidence; address each person’s issues and don’t just expect to click your heels and return to normal, Dorothy!