The decline in housing sales has had a ripple effect on the building industry that includes slashed budgets and the laying off of hundreds of employees. This got me thinking, ‘what are the primary factors that determine who stays and who goes’? There are a multitude of factors I’m sure, but I do know that companies like to keep their best employees. I then got to thinking about job security.
An oxymoron is a figure of speech that combines two normally contradictory terms. Oxymoron is Greek oxy ("sharp") and moros ("dull"). Thus the word oxymoron is itself an oxymoron. My favorite oxymorons include 'Jumbo Shrimp', 'Pretty Ugly', 'Random Order', 'Tax Return', and one my all time favorites, 'Job Security'. Job security is something most everyone seeks, wants, and needs. Job security often times and for many people is a mirage, the appearance of water in the parched desert. It’s here for a moment, but can disappear at any time.
Often times what employees don’t realize is that job security applies both to the client - vendor relationship as well as the employee – employer relationship. As a vendor serving clients, the only thing that matters to me as CEO of NewHomesDirectory.com is that we deliver a value that makes our clients money. Paralleling value is that we are easy to get along with. As a principle, a value proposition along with excellent person to person relationships is the core of successful commerce.
As a vendor, the first question I ask about a prospective client is ‘Do we have a product that will make this company money?’ The second question I ask is ‘Can we provide a level of service that satisfies the person(s) we have direct contact with?’ I make sure the answer is yes to both.
As a client being propositioned by a vendor, the primary question I ask is ‘Does this vendor have a product or service that will make our company money?’ The second question I ask is ‘Can we get along with the representative we have direct contact with?’ If the answer is yes to both, we are in business.
As an employer, my ongoing question about an employee is ‘Is this employee making our company money?’ The next ongoing question is ‘Is this employee contributing to excellent person to person relationships both inside and outside the company?’ If the answer is yes to both, there is job security. If not, well…you can figure it out from there.
Experience has taught me a couple things about job security. First, job security is earned, and it’s earned on a regular basis. Second, complacency, status quo, unwillingness to learn, and pessimistic attitudes, are big contributors to eroding value, hence the erosion of job security. Everyday I go to work with the goal of giving our clients a reason to keep using NewHomesDirectory.com. If you want job security, go to work everyday and give your employer or client a reason to keep using your service.
Value determines security. You who are getting paid in exchange for a product or service should become comfortable with the fact that you can never really get comfortable. As long as you provide a strong value to your company or your clients, you should have little to be concerned about. It’s when that value goes away, that you should become concerned.
Jim Adams - CEO
