Okay, we haven't even got to Christmas yet, but that doesn't mean that anyone should take their foot off the pedal. 2021 is going to be a challenge, and you had better be ready for it.
After what has been the biggest, hardest and quickest reset ever, the next challenge will be the biggest, hardest and most demanding rebuild of the post-war era.
While there are heart-breaking business stories of loss and adjustment out there, there are also plenty of stories of those who have reached the end of 2020 with a great deal of relief at having made it. Still in business and feeling strong about the road ahead. It’s going to be a challenge, but with a focus on stability, protecting jobs and recovering lost income, it is possible to expect to thrive through 2021.
Rehiring in 2021
Part of the challenge will be to rehire through the next year. To rebuild teams that will take advantage of new opportunities. Albeit an unpalatable thought after the trauma of so many redundancies, this is the chance to rehire differently. While there may be pressure, self-imposed or otherwise, to take back former employees, hiring managers must be a little hard-hearted for the good of the organisation, its future success, to protect jobs and sustainably rebuild.
This is the chance to put right old hiring mistakes and build new teams that are fit not just for now, but also for the future. That means critically evaluating the skills and personality traits required for a role. It might also mean identifying the coaching and/or training that an otherwise good candidate will need to be successful in the role, especially if that role changes post-COVID.
Soft Skills for 2021 Success
While there are undoubtedly many who have suffered, there are some strikingly successful organisations through 2021 who buoyed by their achievement will look to expand as the economic climate improves. However, their continued success is dependent on having the right people with the right skills to make this happen. It’s crucial to know what skills the job needs. Emotional intelligence – Yes. Motivation — Definitely. Resilience – A must-have.
But it’s not just over their teams that organisations should cast a critical eye. Key to future success will be leadership teams that can operate with agility, collaboration and innovation. Leaders who can spot opportunity, pivot swiftly and work together to capitalise on gaps in their markets.
These leaders must have resilience, to be adaptable and challenge the status quo, even if that is uncomfortable for their teams. This is where leaders must also have emotional and social intelligence to inspire and confidently take their people with them into what could be uncharted territory. However, recent research from City & Guilds Group business ILM, found that 31% of respondents felt that their leaders lacked empathy and emotional intelligence. and 36% felt that their ability to empower and motivate teams could be better. That needs to change. Fast.
Securing New Talent in 2021
More than two thirds of The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 have created new roles since March. Entrepreneurs are on the hunt for new talent as they build for the future. Despite the fall of high street giants, retail features heavily on the list (42%), but they are all online and have successfully tapped into traditional high street markets across home, health and beauty. It poses the question, will the role of a shop assistant be a thing of the past, to be replaced by the online assistant at the end of a chat function?
The long and the short of it is that top talent at every level will be in high demand next year. But that talent won’t necessarily be easy to spot on a CV, especially if the candidate is new to the job market, or switching from a very different role. Recruiters will need to see past the CV to identify skills, rather than experience. They will need to hire for the traits and skills required for a role, rather than based on what a candidate might have done in the past.
Many organisations are on something or a knife edge. Get your hiring right and success will follow. Get it wrong, and you will jeopardise your best chance of survival through the next year. Hiring managers must be careful to not fall back on old practices such as hiring in their own image. Instead. they should seek support to analyse exactly what the role and the team needs and match their candidates to that criteria.
Use flowprofiler® and McQuaig to recruit and develop in 2021
Let us help you drive success through 2021 and beyond. Using flowprofiler®, McQuaig and the Holst Series of professional development and coaching, we work with organisations to create bespoke programmes that fundamentally align with their purpose and values.
Use the McQuaig Job Analysis and the McQuaig Job Survey® to collaboratively define a role and confidently match your candidates to it with the McQuaig Word Survey®. These tools enable you to really get beyond the surface appearance of your candidates and discover how they are likely to behave in the role.
Recruit for and develop emotional intelligence, resilience, motivation and with flowprofiler® to help your people manage pressure and form strong team relationships at work. With a keen focus on positive psychology, flowprofiler® uniquely measures resilience, motivation and emotional intelligence across two states: day-to-day and under pressure. The result is rich diagnostic information, easy to understand feedback and meaningful professional development.
Contact us
We’re a team who practice what we preach. 2020 has been tough, but we’ve made it through with perseverance, notivation and above all by supporting each other. Contact us to find out how we can help you.
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