The economy is booming, orders just keep coming in, but there is a lack of qualified employees to handle them. The shortage of skilled workers is making itself felt in more and more industries, but some companies find employees more easily than others, who also stay for a long time. Why is that?
In order to find good employees and, above all, to keep them, people have to be offered more today than they were a few years ago. The rigid 40-hour week with fixed working hours has had its day - people long for more flexibility. Flexible working hours should already be the order of the day in order to give employees the opportunity to schedule their week freely. This means that children can be brought to school, shopping can be done or doctor appointments can be planned more easily. Work-life balance is no longer a foreign word - life is no longer just about work.
At least since the pandemic, we have realized that remote teams that are miles apart and do not see each other physically can also do excellent work. However, in order to make this possible, clear structures and rules are required. Processes and procedures must be defined and adhered to. This creates well-functioning teams and no loose network of individuals. The team leader acts more as a coach than as a boss. Information is obtained and exchanged, work is coordinated. The team leader is responsible for creating and complying with the rules in the team.
In order to enable such work - whether in the office or in the home office - a team leader must have good leadership skills. Empathy, patience and openness are required in order to be able to respond to the needs of individual employees. The wishes of the team members must be heard and respected. A concession on both sides is necessary to enable optimal harmony in the workplace. On the other hand, it also requires assertiveness, since the business has to be kept going and customers have to be looked after.
Modern managers need special training in order to be able to respond to these requirements and to find the balance in their management style.
