Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/205815
Management in the competition to obtain the right people with the right skills. This will be a fools' errand. At some point, businesses will come to realize that employee development and training is the proper and correct answer to the skills shortage dilemma. This employee development will rely on the definitions of the requirements of each job function. It will require a skills inventory of the current employees. A specific development plan for each employee will be created and followed. The plan will be adjusted frequently as the employee grows in his or her skills. Employee training and education will in all likelihood become a depreciable asset like any other tool that is purchased for the company. This will allow businesses to think more about the investment in people and less in the short-term profit that is our current obsession. But these changes will be difficult to make. Save Yourself The quick, the cheap, and the easy drive most business talent development strategies. The weakest link in this business culture fantasy is the continuing focus on outside hiring to get the skills the business needs. I contend that we must develop the personnel that the business needs internally. It is work, but it should be done now. Create a profile for each job function and task that you have in your company. Find a reputable source to use for career profiling and personnel evaluation. Develop an ability to annually obtain the skill sets of each employee in your company. Develop a career development plan for each employee. From this it will become clearer which ones have the aptitude and competencies for promotion to management and supervisory positions. Get involved with the local educators at the middle school and high school levels, not just technical schools and universities. What I am describing here are the tools that you will need to succeed in the coming decades. If you decide to change your approach to personnel development, thus adapting to the new reality, you will succeed in an increasingly complex and demanding business climate. If you don't change, you will face increasing risk to your business. The choice is yours. The time is now. RON SLEE (ron@rjslee. com) operates a consulting firm that specializes in dealership operations (R.J. Slee & Associates, est. 1983) and a management and operational training business (Quest, Learning Centers, est. 1994). You can find more specifics at www.rjslee.com, or follow him on Twitter: @RonSlee or his Blog: learningwithoutscars.com. Leverage your bottom line... with every lift! At Vacuworx, the objective is very simple – to provide the safest, most efficient heavy-duty lifting equipment in the industry. Vacuworx lifters increase load and unload cycles 7-12 times, with a fraction of the number of ground personnel vs. ...the global leader in innovative lifting solutions. Phone 1-918-259-3050 | requests@vacuworx.com | www.vacuworx.com 10105 East 55th Place, Tulsa, Oklahoma 74146 USA conventional methods. Vacuworx offers financing and rental options, and our service and parts departments are available 24/7 365 days a year. With 14 years of proven track record, no one offers a better selection or quality than Vacuworx. November 2013 | Construction Equipment Distribution | www.cedmag.com | 43