Labor Day is a lot of things. It’s the unofficial end of summer. It’s a long weekend with friends and family. It’s a time to recognize the contributions workers have made to strengthen the fabric of our nation. But that’s not all it is.
Labor Day is also an opportunity for business owners to think about their own staff and the people who have contributed to the company’s strength and prosperity. It’s a chance to reevaluate the hiring process to make sure 5-star performers are the norm. It’s a chance to listen to your team members.
What Is Labor Day?
Held on the first Monday in September, Labor Day was created in the late 1800s to honor labor and the contributions it’s had in the construction of our country. The first organized parade celebrating this concept was held in New York City in 1887, but Oregon was the first state to adopt it as a public holiday until it became an official federal holiday in 1894. Today, it represents many things in American culture, while still retaining its original intent.
Why Labor Day Is an Opportunity for Business Owners
When there’s a chance to be aware of our values and purpose, we should take it. That’s what Labor Day offers, a chance to be mindful about who and how we hire.
One of the biggest challenges business owners face is finding, hiring, and retaining great people to contribute to the overall direction of the company. But why? It comes down to company culture.
Hiring great people is directly related to a company’s culture. When the culture is clear to anyone looking to enter it, the culture itself will inevitably attract and even sift through potential candidates. People will know how to contribute even before you interview them (or they should at least have some ideas).
By using a national day dedicated to labor to actually think about ways to make labor better, employers can take steps to maximize the potential of staff, to view them as investments instead of expenses. But this direction must ultimately come from the top.
As demographics shift, how we hire becomes more and more important, and there are resources out there that can help you put the right systems in place.
Start hiring the talent you deserve.
Join me, Rudy Miick, and get the keys to hiring great people in the Miick Minutes: Choose Well.
