A small family-owned hospitality business was facing staffing issues at their visitor attraction. They relied on local casual staff to support their coffee and gift shop during busy holiday periods and weekends, as well as to assist visitors as they toured the attraction. However, there were often times when staff would not be available when needed, or they would turn up late, or they would rush to get off at the end of the shift. As a result, the business had to limit their services or even alter their opening hours.

Initially, the business assumed that the perfect demographic for this type of casual work would be young students looking to earn money while studying. They believed there would be a large demand among this demographic and made them their target audience when recruiting. However, after seeking mentorship, the business discovered that they were wrong.

Together, we discussed the perfect characteristics for their ideal employee and quickly discovered that a much better demographic for their business would be someone at the later end of their working life. Someone who did not necessarily want a full-time job, long hours, or stress and someone who did not have competing responsibilities or desires. These were people who would also be more likely to stay on the books for longer.

The business changed their job adverts and media, and reviewed their employer value proposition with this new demographic in mind. They literally have not looked back since. The business is growing, has a steady number of superb permanent as well as casual workers available, and the constant stress of not knowing whether someone would turn up for their shift or not is long gone.

This simple but effective solution for staffing issues resulted in increased customers, productivity, quality, and profitability. It also shows that sometimes the perfect demographic for a job may not be what you expect, and a change in perspective can lead to positive results.

A growing events company tasked me with finding the 'perfect' operations manager to oversee and support their busy team. The company did not use recruitment agencies, and part of the challenge was wading through the flood of CVs sent through and ensuring that good potential did not slip through the net because a CV did not tick all the boxes, but also weeding out those who were not right for the role or the organization.

Having worked with the organization previously, I understood their business, clients, and culture. Using my DISC and NLP training, I was able to decipher inconsistencies in CVs and traits that could serve or work against the company in certain situations.

One candidate stood out from the rest and was invited to interview, but there was a caveat. From the CV, it was clear that the individual would be superb in supporting and guiding a team rather than leading and directing. It was also evident that the individual performed better in a steady environment and that any rapid change could prove unsettling and make them less effective.

The candidate performed excellently in the interview and was seen as the ideal person for the role, given the characteristics of the existing team and business direction for the forthcoming 12-24 months.

However, just three months later, COVID hit, and three months after that, everything went into lockdown. Like most events companies (those who survived anyway), this business needed people to think on their feet, innovate, and adapt quickly and positively to the change.

While I couldn't have predicted COVID, I was able to predict how this person would perform in such circumstances, and sadly it proved to be correct. The characteristics that were perfect in normal times just weren't suited to the turbulence that the business faced, and unfortunately, it was jointly agreed that they should part ways.

This case study highlights the importance of hiring individuals whose characteristics match the nature of future business operations. Experience, quaifications, attitude and personality are important but are not enough to guarantee success. Don't let a lack of experience in candidate assessment hold your business back - with the right tools and knowledge, assessing a candidates likely behaviour in future situations is easier than you might think.

As the UK began to emerge from the pandemic, one particular bar faced a challenge in hiring and retaining the right talent. The bar served craft beers, which changed monthly, and targeted young professionals who had an interest in experiencing new flavours and learning about their origins. However, the existing team was struggling to re-engage after being furloughed, and the bar was relying more and more on temporary student waiting staff.

To address this challenge, the management team looked at the 'ideal' characteristics required for the bar to deliver its unique selling proposition (USP) and identified what would motivate that persona to want to work at the bar. They discovered that craft beer 'geeks or gurus' would be the ideal fit for the bar's USP. To ensure they were seen as specialists in their field, part of their role was changed to include visiting the craft beer suppliers and learning about the ingredients, production processes, and qualities of the products.

Rather than just serving behind the bar, tasting nights were put on where the gurus would pair the beers with complimentary nibbles and where customers learned about the different elements of the beers. As a result, the bar became a 'destination bar' and a sought-after place to work. Employees were proud of their 'profession' and became part of the reason people frequented the place. This led to increased profits, and staff turnover dropped significantly.

By identifying the ideal characteristics required for the bar and creating a unique role for its employees, the bar was able to transform its business and staffing strategy. It became a place where customers not only enjoyed their craft beer but also learned about it from passionate experts. This created a culture of pride and engagement amongst employees who became ambassadors of the bar's brand. As a result, the bar achieved greater success and resilience in the challenging post-pandemic market.

As Ops Director for a large global events agency, I faced the challenge of retaining highly valued event organizers. We recognized that we needed to help our talent develop both personally and professionally, or risk losing them to competitors.

In an industry with hierarchical structures, people often hit a ceiling on senior positions they can progress into, leading to dissatisfaction and job turnover. As an autonomous leader, I implemented a structure that empowered account teams to develop and direct their own future.

I treated account directors as business managers, encouraging them to involve their teams in managing the business as well as events. I was transparent about the figures, sharing the cost of employment at each level and the effect of productivity on growth. We set targets together, feeding into the overall business goals.

My role shifted from traditional Ops Director to business support, providing tools for the teams to achieve their goals. Behaviours changed, and team members took a sense of ownership and accountability, leading to procurement being taken more seriously, more avid pursuit of new business opportunities, and improved customer service and delivery. Teams learned from each other, coming together weekly to share learnings and offer support.

When I left the organization, staff turnover was at an all-time low and business turnover and net profitability at an all-time high.

Investing in employee development isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, but when the approach is aligned with the business goals it pay's off in spades.