Upward mobility is a term that gets thrown around the business world quite a lot. This is something you might have seen somewhere before, and it’s highly likely you heard it when you were applying for jobs in the past. This is because it’s a term that relates to employment. Specifically, upward mobility is when a business provides employees with ways to rise up the ranks and improve themselves. It’s where you take an employee and make them a better version of themselves in one way or another.
How can your business do this, and why is upward mobility so important? We’ll start with the second question, culminating in a few ideas and tactics you can use to implement this approach in your business.
The importance of upward mobility
With upward mobility, you give your employees a chance to better themselves. They aren’t just stuck in a job that’s going nowhere, they can actively improve and open new doors for themselves. As you’ll see in the later section, the improvements and opportunities aren’t just related to their job. It can help them improve other aspects of themselves and their lives as well.
All of this comes together to mean that you have a group of very happy employees. You have people that are keen to work for you and stay working for you for a long time. They are getting a lot out of being your employee, so why would they leave? This reduces your turnover rate dramatically, saving your business a lot of time and money. Productivity can also increase as you have the same team working together for years on end – also boosting efficiency.
In essence, you don’t have to deal with teams being broken up as one or two people leave every few months. This would result in long hiring campaigns that drain your resources, and lost time as you wait for the new people to integrate. Upward mobility keeps your employees at your business for longer, and it makes them happier to work for you.
How can you implement upward mobility?
There are literally so many different ways you can implement this, which is why there’s no excuse to not do it. So many businesses from around the world present examples of upward mobility done right. One company called Grupo Caliente offers upward mobility by providing scholarships to different educational institutions. This lets employees train and gain new qualifications that can open up bigger career moves. Amazon is another company that offers upward mobility, giving all employees access to a training program to help them become leaders when they are hired.
There are plenty of other examples of companies that provide ways for employees to excel upwards. Essentially, you are looking for any type of training or development program or idea that gives your employees something extra. Perhaps they learn new skills, gain qualifications, or improve their education.
All in all, focusing on upward mobility can be crucial for your business. Keep your employees happy and focused, and the rest of your company will thrive.
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The market for talented employees is the tightest it has been in a long time, and as a consequence, many businesses have revisited their hiring requirements and been pleasantly surprised by the results. One specific hiring requirement that is often unnecessary is the classic “3-5 years of experience.” The truth is that there are many benefits to hiring a new 2021 college graduate, and the labor shortage has simply made this fact more apparent. Here we will go over a few of the reasons that hiring a 2021 college graduate should be on the top of your list of things to consider.
The first advantage: A strong willingness to work
If we are honest with ourselves, most of us will admit that when we begin a job our willingness to work is greater than it is after we have been working somewhere for several years. And this makes sense: a new hire is full of excitement and is anxious to impress. This effect is augmented exponentially in the case of a new college graduate. They are not only beginning a new job – they are beginning an entirely new stage of their life! This willingness can translate to better results not just from your new employee, but from other employees who want to step up their own game to avoid looking bad in comparison.
The second advantage: Digital and technological expertise
In today’s world, it does not matter if you run a communications company or a landscaping company, you need to use technology. The advantages of having a new graduate to serve as your ambassador to the digital world tend to fall into two categories: an ability to fix broken technology and an ability to leverage unused technology. We are all familiar with the headache that comes with computers, phones, printers, or any other gizmo or gadget you might need, so the benefits of having someone around who can solve them all is self-evident. The advantages that can come from leveraging currently unused technology are less apparent. One example of this is the woefully inadequate digital presence that so many businesses still have today. Especially if you are a customer-facing business, if you do not have an active and well-curated digital presence on websites and social media, you are likely missing out on a huge pool of customers.
The third advantage: They have no bad work habits to undo
While hiring someone with 3-5 years of experience has its advantages, it also raises some problems that a new college graduate would not. One of the issues that most commonly arises is that an experienced employee comes equipped with both the knowledge and the bad habits they picked up on their last job. And while the knowledge can be helpful, it can easily be offset by how difficult it is to instill new habits and values in an employee who is used to doing things a completely different way. In addition to the benefits mentioned above, a new college graduate will show up as a blank slate. You can teach them the correct way to do things and they will learn things right the first time. One related disadvantage of the limited experience that new hires have is that they do not have a work record. This is not as big of a deal as most people think, however, because much can be learned from a look at a candidate’s transcripts and a job background check.
The fourth advantage: They are primed to learn
Anyone who has left school and then returned again knows how hard it can be to put your mind back into gear so that it can learn as well as it used to. The brain works much like a muscle insofar as those parts of it that do not get used regularly tend to atrophy. Recent college graduates have had to learn massive amounts of new materials for as far back as they can remember. These candidates are capable of devouring new information and mastering new skills in half the time that you might expect.
Hiring is a challenge in the best of times, and in today’s market, the difficulties can seem insurmountable. While this situation is certainly frustrating, it can also represent an opportunity to revisit your hiring requirements so that you include new college graduates. They are willing to work, they are digital experts, they have no bad habits to undo, and they learn extraordinarily quickly.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/college-students-3990783_1280.jpg8531280StrategyDrivenhttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngStrategyDriven2021-07-09 07:00:332021-07-09 00:54:07Why You Should Revisit Your Hiring Requirements and Consider Hiring a 2021 College Graduate
Coconino County has enhanced its Public Works fleet operations by focusing on employee development and establishing new business practices. Located in northern Arizona with its seat in the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County is the second-largest county by land area in the United States, requiring a varied and extensive fleet. In the last five years, Public Works leadership have taken many actions to build a sustainable future.
Background
The Fleet Services Division of the Public Works Department comprises two business units – Heavy Equipment Services and Mechanical Services. In addition to 18 employees operating three shops in two locations, the Division also manages two fueling sites and a Parts and Inventory Room. The Division provides essential infrastructure support and services to more than 420 light-fleet and highway equipment across County departments, ranging from the County Sheriff’s patrol and search and rescue vehicles to Public Works’ Road Maintenance vehicles.
The County maintains more than a typical municipal fleet. Fleet Services are also responsible for approximately 100 pieces of highway equipment to manage the heavy snowfall. Flagstaff, Arizona receives an average of 100 inches of snow in a year. Additionally, the County maintains over 600 miles of unpaved rural roadways, including some in the Navajo Nation.
Paradoxically, the County’s approach to improve operations in the Fleet Services Division has focused on developing employees and improving work processes.
Staffing Challenges and Planned Actions
At Coconino County Public Works, people come first. Mechanics are a vital part of the team; their role in maintaining equipment and vehicles across such a large geographic area is essential. Yet, as a rural county with a high cost of housing, attracting experienced and qualified staff can be difficult. The continuous challenges of recruitment, onboarding, and retaining mechanics led the Public Works leadership to reevaluate their approach to staffing. These challenges created the perfect opportunity to re-envision the careers of Coconino County mechanics.
The shortage of qualified mechanics is “old news” in the industry; the number of new mechanics has been steadily decreasing nationwide. As a trade, mechanics require a long lead time and many labor hours to gain skills and experience, especially with the technology and alternative fuels of complex and heavy equipment continuously changing. The reduction of farming and large-scale mining operations in the northern Arizona region appears to be partly responsible for the diminishing interest and opportunities for young adults to develop mechanical trades skills.
The decline of young adults entering the workforce as mechanics and other trades contributes to an organization’s ability to meet its improvement goals and provide public services. The inability to hire and recruit new employees has impacted maintenance service levels and can be detrimental. A lack of available mechanics means fewer labor hours devoted to important activities. Leadership is often faced with either cutting specific tasks or reducing labor and functions across the board. Deferring maintenance tasks can have significant, long-lasting impacts on workload, cost, structural integrity, and even response to emergencies of snow operations, floods, or fires.
Similarly, employee departures and heavy reliance on too few employees over long periods can be detrimental to the long-term performance of the organization and can lead to a reduction in efficiency, loss of vital industry and institutional knowledge, low employee morale, and reduced service delivery during periods of transition. Moreover, such challenges lead to increased costs of recruitment, onboarding, and training of new staff. Given the sheer size of the County, the bottom-line is that maintaining essential service operations requires coverage and vehicles being operational to meet public needs of access, security, and health services. The County’s effort to address these issues has focused on several priorities.
Reimagining the Organization – Investing in People
To slow and reverse these damaging, often cyclical impacts, Public Works began to reimagine and reconfigure the organization from workflow to employee roles. This started with an independent review of the operations, leading to new findings that outlined opportunities for improvement. The Fleet Services Division has now evaluated employee and management input and has executed several improvements. This includes enhancements in services, reliability, and improving quality of customer service by strategically investing in its workforce and new technologies over the last five years. The County’s investment in its people, mainly its mechanics, has also been crucial in onboarding and retaining new employees.
The process started by reevaluating the role of mechanics. With input from various stakeholders the division developed career ladders for those employed in Mechanical Services and Heavy Equipment Shops. Previously, the County had one mechanic job classification; each group is now divided into several job class categories. This strategy increased the Division’s ability to attract candidates from a wider spectrum of experience and skill set, creating additional opportunities for career growth. As a result, County leadership can develop and mentor new mechanics through trainee and apprentice roles and has created new entry-level positions requiring limited experience for those who desire to join the trade.
Incentivizing Professional Achievement
Incentivizing professional achievement is another effort focused on providing mechanics, and other employee classes, the opportunity to grow professionally. Professional development opportunities ensure that the job stays exciting and rewarding. Opportunities for advancement into higher leadership roles and access to benefits (proportionate to the experience and responsibilities) are necessary to keep employees developed and sustained.
The County established a tier-based system for mechanics to advance within the organization. Coconino County rewards its experienced and professional mechanics. The Division’s leadership team decided to incentivize professional achievement through well-established and respected Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) benchmarks with financial adjustments.
“When I came to the County, I let my Automotive Service Excellence Certification (ASE) lapse. There was no incentive or recognition of that achievement.” says Gilbert Riviera, a 15-year lead mechanic. The story at the County looks very different today. The County’s fully-fledged mechanics now have several ASE certifications covering all types of maintenance and repairs in the shops. These credentials are not just part of the mechanics’ compensation but also a point of pride for this skilled trade and a benefit to the organization. Coconino County Fleet Services is in the process of obtaining a Blue Seal Certification for both shops, making it the first County fleet organization in Arizona to reach this milestone.
The County has developed a training program to meet individual needs, including an annual training plan for each employee to learn the latest technical aspects of fleet and related technology. The County also established a position that focuses on providing training and development for employees. Ken VonShultze, who spearheads the mechanic training and safety program, proudly shares that “ASE Blue Seal of Excellence Program is the highest designation by the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence recognizing commitment to customer service and skills for our mechanics. That is the quality of service we strive for in Coconino County.”
The Covid-19 pandemic provided an opportunity for several mechanics to increase training hours and complete ASE tests due to the plateau in fleet usage. A minimum of 75 percent of the mechanics must be ASE certified, covering all types of ASE Certifications for a Blue Seal designation. Financial incentives are available for obtaining a Commercial Driver License (CDL) for both maintenance services and ASE certifications.
Supportive Work Culture
A third effort equally important is enhancing work culture. Continuous improvement has become synonymous with fleet operations at Coconino County. The focus on creating a thriving culture centered on mentorship, inclusion, and safety is paying off as Coconino County Fleet Services enters a new chapter.
After 37 years of service, Coconino County Public Work’s Fleet Manager retired from a long and successful tenure. A departure of this magnitude leads to some disruption in the workflow. Still, it is also a testament to an extraordinary employee retention model. The work started will continue to propel the Public Works and its Fleet Services organization for many years to come.
A Way Forward: County Operations and Support Efforts
Senior County leadership understands the need for continuous organizational improvements to withstand and thrive during organizational changes. Ample advancement opportunities allow the County to retain existing employees, while reducing entry requirements based on experience and providing on-the-job training has attracted new employees. Further, providing incentives for a new generation of mechanics to join the workforce can help ensure each position’s succession.
Establishing a tiered system with rewards for education and learning encourages mechanics to stay and grow with the County.
A dynamic organization with a flexible career ladder and supportive management is necessary to fill and retain key mechanic positions and adapt to disruptive changes. Although challenges continue to surface, efforts are underway to ensure both trainees and existing skilled employees remain with Fleet Services as a mechanic or in a supervisory role. Public Works employees are essential for ensuring the County provides year-round public services for access, safety, and the health of Coconino County residents and the millions of visitors to Northern Arizona annually.
About the Authors
Eslir Musta, MPA, is Deputy Director of Public Works for Coconino County, Arizona.
Harry Lorick, PE, PWLF, PTOE, is Principal at LA Consulting, Inc. as well as Leadership and Management Committee Member and VP of APWA’s SoCal Chapter.
https://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/digger.png6911200Sharon Kastorianohttps://www.strategydriven.com/wp-content/uploads/SDELogo5-300x70-300x70.pngSharon Kastoriano2021-06-13 12:00:332021-06-13 11:42:11Creating a Successful Fleet Operation Means Investing in Employees
Over recent years within the United Kingdom, video production has become an effective way for brands to market themselves and tell their brand story. A lot of work and effort goes into producing a video for a business; therefore, it requires a team of talented people. If you are interested in starting a career in video production, or just want to learn more about what goes into creating a video for a business, then here is a list of job roles that are available within video production.
Director
One of the main roles within video production is that of a director. Directors are typically involved in all stages of creating a video. Video production companies, for example this company who work in video production Cardiff based, play an integral role in boosting sales for a business. Therefore, having a good director is vital for the videos and business’ success. Directors oversee and manage all aspects of the video production from start to finish. It is the director’s job to set the scene for the video production, and essentially direct all crew members on how to create an effective video.
Producer
A producer is another vital job role within video production and is necessary for making effective marketing videos. Producers ensure that a schedule is followed, secures funds for the production and manages the entire cast and crew of the video production. Depending on the size and scale of the production there could be a number of producers working on a project at a time. Producers also usually stay involved throughout the whole video production development and would have the most contact with the business client.
Camera operator
Camera operators, also known as videographers, are the people who are in charge of operating all the cameras and equipment on the production set. Along with the help of a lighting, sound and technical team, camera operators have the role of capturing the footage that will be used in creating a video production for a business. People who work in this role typically have a good eye for things and great attention to detail. Camera operators can create a scene or clip of footage based off what they have been told by the producer and the director. Essentially, they have the role of bringing a client’s vision to life.
Lighting operator
Lighting operators work closely with the camera operates, helping them to create effective videos for a client. Lighting operators must make sure that a set is well lit by coordinating all of the lights on set. Good lighting is essential for achieving the look envisioned by the client and producer. It is also extremely important if the video production company is creating a video that markets a certain product. Lighting operators must make sure that the product that they are trying to market is clearly seen in the video, that way it will catch people’s attention.
Voice over talent
When creating videos for a business client it is quite common for videos to include voice overs. This involves someone speaking over a series of clips, typically about the brand or the product or services that they offer. This narration is usually recorded off camera, and the person doing the voice over will often read from a script that that been written by the client. Voice over is considered to be one of the most important steps in video production marketing as they play a huge role in building a connection with the audience. Businesses typically use someone who is relevant to their audience, making the video seem more personal, therefore building a strong connection.
Video editor
Without a video editor, a video would not exist. Video editors have the task of taking all the clips that were previously filmed by the camera operators and compiling them together into one video. They will also take the voice over audio that has previously been recorded and edit that over the video. Video editors usually spend a lot of time cutting out unnecessary clips and condensing all the clips into a shorter video suitable for the clients. They will also use a variety of sound effects, graphics and special effects while editing the video, in order to enhance the clips. Along with the camera operators, video editors play a huge role in bringing a client’s vision to life. Poorly edited videos do not usually market well, therefore they must make sure that their editing is seamless.
From reading this list hopefully you will now be aware of some of the amazing jobs that video production has to offer. Whether you have just graduated from university or are looking for a new and exciting career change, you’ll be sure to find a great job in video production Cardiff or UK based.
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You’re always going to have to hire new people as a business owner, but how do you know when you have hired the right one? It’s never possible to be 100% that the person you have hired is the right person until they start working, but you can get a pretty good idea during the job interview. In this article, we are going to be taking a look at some of the things that you should be looking for in potential employees, so keep reading down below if you would like to find out more.
Determination
The first thing that you need to look for is determination. If they come across as someone who wants to work, and who wants to do a good job for your business no matter what, then he is the kind of guy that you are looking for. If they are slouching in their chair, not making eye contact and generally don’t seem to care at all, then this is the exact opposite of what you need. Trust us when we say that if someone is determined to see a good job and do well for your business, you’re going to know about it.
There are some people though that will be quietly determined because we get overshadowed by those who are loud and are talking all the time. Essentially, as long as they don’t look bored and they are answering your questions with some level of enthusiasm, then this is a good sign.
Willingness To Learn New Things
You cannot allow someone to stay stuck in their ways their whole life. They need to be able to adapt to change, learn to follow new rules and do things a different way to what they are used to. If you hear the words ‘at my last company’ and you are not a startup looking for advice, then you need to tell her that. Let them know that it doesn’t matter how things were done at the last company because they are no longer looking for employment at the last company you worked for. As such, your rules are going to be strict. While I appreciate the need for a drink, it’s still overwhelming on the first date.
A Clear Social Media Presence
After the interview, or before depending on when you have time, you should take a quick look through their social media. Make sure that it is appropriate for someone of their age and their standing in the business. If it isn’t, then in their contract social media has limitations etc. We know that sometimes it can be difficult, but if someone knows how to delete a comment on Instagram then this can be solved. If there is an issue it’s one of her posts to a bed. If you can’t find anything on social media, then this will be a point in their favor and I can’t believe you are saying that either.
Past Experience
You do want someone who has some kind of experience if possible. It’s not a requirement because you can always teach someone what they need to know, but past experience might help your business. They can tell you what worked and what didn’t work in general terms at the company, as well as some of the things that they were going to try and see how well these strategies tried.
Sometimes having someone completely fresh is ideal, but not always. You need to have at least a few people who know what they are doing and have some kind of past in the business that you are trying to start. You never know how close you are to snapping until someone is so full of arrogance they think that they can just talk to everyone however they want all the time, though. Experience does not make you a God. This is a terrible quality to have, so if you find it, this person is not the right fit.
Arrogance is a killer in the business world, and you can’t have someone like that on your team. A team is a machine and without even a single cog, it stops turning. No one piece is more important than the other.
We hope that you have found this article helpful, and now see some of the things that you should be looking for in potential employees. At the end of the day, the thing that you want most is an employee who is willing to work to help you achieve your goals for your business. If you can find this, then you are already far better off than some of the other businesses on the market.
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Upward mobility is a term that gets thrown around the business world quite a lot. This is something you might have seen somewhere before, and it’s highly likely you heard it when you were applying for jobs in the past. This is because it’s a term that relates to employment. Specifically, upward mobility is when a business provides employees with ways to rise up the ranks and improve themselves. It’s where you take an employee and make them a better version of themselves in one way or another.
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