Are You Prepared For Your Reopening?

0

(By Laurie Kahn) As we see many states starting to discuss reopening for business, radio owners and operators also need to know how. While uncertainty is still a daily concern, there are many things that can be done now.

We all know that business will rebound, but we don’t know when or what it will look like. There are some certain factors that we are sure about and this is the best time to address them to get a jump on when things pick up.

We must try to plan ahead. What has worked in the past, may not work in the ‘new normal’. Things we do know, Boomers will retire leaving a large gap in the workforce, especially in many of our mid-size and smaller markets. While some may put it off due to another recession, the time will come.

Younger generations have different work ethics, needs, and demands. Radio still needs to continue to try to attract and retain them. Plus, we know that if their goals are not met, they will not stick around so turnover will be more often than in the past.

People who did not have flexibility to work from home in the past, may well demand to do so in the future.

Even when we are now in a time of high unemployment, things will settle down. To be best prepared, here are some pieces of advice that we can offer to help you navigate the ‘new normal’.

  • You may have been forced to downsize, so what better time to review all job profiles. Have jobs needed to be combined? Are all tasks being covered or if not, what is falling through the cracks and needs to be reassigned. Are your job profiles completely transparent to warrant no surprises after hire? Perhaps you ask your most recent hires if you adequately described their duties, expectations, goals, deadlines, required attendance at what meetings and needed skills to be successful in the job. Have you covered what the training and support includes and when? Another consideration is to think about what is required to do this job. Are you narrowing down your playing field by only looking at media sellers when there could be a whole new group of job seekers who could easily do the job? Adding in non-media professionals can help open new business categories which has been proven by many radio stations.
  • This is a good time to review your handbook, policies, and procedural guides. You may need to include verbiage to address flexibility, part time workers or remote work. Think about updating any necessary rules, training, or support pieces to address the ‘new norm’. Update all hiring forms and reports to an online process.
  • We know that job seekers actively research before applying for a job. This is a great time to Google yourself, your company, and your management team – find out what is being said out there as your reputation is crucial. Update your social media profiles and most importantly, your career page on your website. Use testimonials from both happy employees and satisfied clients who can share their positive experiences. Include a detailed overview of what you do for your team and how you onboard your new hires.
  • Review your marketing and social media presence. Do you share how you help the community? Do you have examples of clients you have helped grow?  Do you let people know why you are a good employer? You need to make sure that all in your community look at you with respect and have a desire to join your team. This is the time to brag about what your company does for others.

These include some simple steps to help keep you on track to attract, hire and retain the top talent you need for today and tomorrow.

Laurie Kahn is the creator and founder of Media Staffing Network. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here