Under intense pressure to meet business demands within a fluid economic landscape in Canada, managers in every workplace face a conundrum: You need critical team roles staffed with the right people, right now. But can your company afford a long search for talent right now? And can you invest the right way to keep the people you have?
To help managers tackle these questions for themselves, Robert Half Canada has released its timely new e-book, The Manager’s Guide to Uncertain Economic Times.
Robert Half created the e-book specifically to help hiring and people managers through the shifting economic times we are all experiencing. It will guide managers in navigating expected and unexpected workplace challenges, avoid missteps, and maximize opportunities to build successful teams.
“Even as other decisions are put on hold during uncertain times, there’s no reason to stop investing in your staff with tailored training and development opportunities. You’ll get even more traction if you align these opportunities not just with company needs but with employees’ own passions and abilities,” shares Deborah Bottineau, Managing Director of Robert Half Canada.
We have explored numerous ways to describe our current, complicated and complex Canadian economic landscape, which includes:
Inflation and recession concerns across all provincesInterest rates reversing direction after more than a decade of decline Lingering effects of the global pandemic on the Canadian labour market and supply chains Ongoing skill-gaps made worse by the tight labour market
All these influences free-floating in the business atmosphere, are contributing to unclear or conflicting company and departmental priorities, sudden changes in leadership, and hiring and salary constraints — wreaking havoc on productivity and morale in workplaces.
Still — and this is the big takeaway — uncertainty, managed right, can create opportunities for clear-eyed, innovative managers to stand out in their organization.
While uncertainties complicate managers’ jobs, they also present opportunities to motivate teams, move forward and pass competitors who remain stuck in neutral over fear of the unknown.
Innovations often emerge when the chips are down and organizations are compelled to adapt. This could be the perfect time for managers to examine problems and roadblocks from a different vantage point, revealing new solutions. When no one knows all the answers — or what’s next — that’s the time to find new ways to get work done. This is also when new management stars emerge.
The Guide identifies the following six common mistakes managers make during uncertain times and periods of rapid change — and then offers advice for anticipating these mistakes, being proactive and seizing the hidden opportunities found in uncertainty.
Letting uncertainty get in the way of progress
Rushing to cut costs
Letting heavy workloads push people beyond their limits
Micromanaging employees
Scaling down training and development programs
Failing to communicate
Each section concludes with solutions and tips managers can implement right away to start making an impact.
