Strategies Small Businesses Can Use to Combat Staffing Shortages with Mirah Young & Misha Ford

Transcription:

Mark Collier:
Welcome to The playbook, Misha and Mirah.

Mirah Young:
Thank you for having us.

Misha Ford:
Thank you. Thanks for having us here.

Mark Collier:
All right. Very good. You ladies look so lovely today, just-

Mirah Young:
Thank you.

Mark Collier:
You’re just lighting up my stage here.

Misha Ford:
Oh. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Mirah Young:
Thank you, appreciate it.

Mark Collier:
All right. So, Misha, why did you start this company and how has it grown over the last 10 years?

Misha Ford:
I started this company as a virtual assistant company 12 years ago.

Mark Collier:
Ah, okay. Very good.

Misha Ford:
Before any of the pandemic, right? So I worked in corporate for 20 years.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
I worked in corporate for 20 years-

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Misha Ford:
And when I was working in corporate, I was a Senior Executive Assistant.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
And I would go home and I would still be working.

Mark Collier:
Yeah. That happens a lot, doesn’t it?

Misha Ford:
Right? So once I started going home and I was working, I was like, “Oh, wow. You know what? I can open up a virtual assistant company and do invoicing and back office work for some of the corporations.”

Mark Collier:
Okay. Okay. All right.

Misha Ford:
So that’s how we started.

Mark Collier:
All right.

Misha Ford:
We rolled into 3T Consulting-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
… because we started bringing more virtual assistance on-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
… as time went on.

Mark Collier:
All right.

Misha Ford:
And now we’re 3T Staffing Solutions.

Mark Collier:
I love it. I love it. So over the course of that 10 years, I’m sure you’ve experienced a myriad of different problems. So what was the biggest challenge you faced over the last 10 years in your business and how did you go about tackling it?

Mirah Young:
Some challenges that we see that we’re facing right now in this economy is incentives, bonuses-

Mark Collier:
Oh yeah.

Mirah Young:
… pay.

Mark Collier:
Absolutely.

Mirah Young:
People are either making just a livable wage-

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Mirah Young:
… or not a livable wage.

Mark Collier:
Yeah.

Mirah Young:
And that’s a huge issue that we are trying to bridge the gap on.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
So what our focus is not only incentivizing our employees but letting the clients know we need to engage with the employees. We need to listen to what they need because if we don’t, the turnover rate will continue to be higher and higher.

Mark Collier:
No, Mirah, that’s a great point. What I’ve found is that, in terms of packaging, there’s maybe not so much wiggle room you can have on the salaries, but sometimes on the benefit side, you can add additional benefits or things-

Mirah Young:
Right.

Mark Collier:
… to employees that will entice them to perhaps stay a little longer.

Mirah Young:
Right.

Mark Collier:
Fully agree.

Mirah Young:
I mean, an incentive right now, gas cards, you know?

Mark Collier:
Oh yeah.

Mirah Young:
That would be a great one for a lot of people.

Mark Collier:
Absolutely. Absolutely.

Mirah Young:
The $500 gas card for the month, that’ll help a lot of people out so…

Mark Collier:
No, that makes perfect sense.

Misha Ford:
We did that.

Mirah Young:
Yes, we did as well.

Misha Ford:
We did that. We had to.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
Yeah.

Misha Ford:
Because we were losing staff left and right.

Mark Collier:
Right. Yeah.

Misha Ford:
And we had to think about reward programs.

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Misha Ford:
And if you stayed longer, how much?

Mark Collier:
Right.

Misha Ford:
So I guess over the last 10 years you would say, “We spend more,” in staffing.

Mirah Young:
Right.

Misha Ford:
We have to spend more. We have to give more.

Mark Collier:
Well, the great thing about you being an entrepreneur in the staffing world is you encounter a lot of the same problems that your clients face.

Misha Ford:
Yes.

Mark Collier:
So you have kind of a boots-on-the ground perspective, you’re just not preaching to them from some high horse since you’re actually living the same problems.

Misha Ford:
Yes.

Mark Collier:
All right.

Misha Ford:
When the client, literally, when the economy dumped-

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Misha Ford:
… remember those are our clients.

Mark Collier:
Absolutely.

Misha Ford:
What happens?

Mark Collier:
Yeah.

Misha Ford:
It’s a full ripple effect.

Mark Collier:
Absolutely. So we’ve heard a lot about the term The Great Resignation, what does it mean for businesses out here and what are some of strategies that they can deploy to kind of mitigate the effects?

Misha Ford:
Great Resignation.

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Misha Ford:
The Great Reshuffle, The Great Negotiation. I mean, you can keep on, on and on and on, but just like Mirah said, it’s flexibility.

Mark Collier:
Oh yeah.

Misha Ford:
Right? Usually, we live by work life-

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Misha Ford:
… balance.

Mark Collier:
Yeah.

Misha Ford:
Now it’s life/work balance.

Mark Collier:
I like that life first, then work.

Misha Ford:
Yes.

Mirah Young:
Yes.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
We really have to think about the flexibility. And in a lot of these companies, older companies-

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Misha Ford:
… they don’t want to do that.

Mark Collier:
Yeah. They don’t.

Misha Ford:
You sit down and say, “Well, what’s the solution?”

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Misha Ford:
Right now it’s going to be automation.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
AI and ML, machine learning, is going to influence that.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
Why?

Mark Collier:
Let’s hear it.

Misha Ford:
We should definitely ask why.

Mark Collier:
Let’s hear it.

Misha Ford:
It’s because if you don’t want to go to work, who’s going to do it?

Mark Collier:
Good point.

Misha Ford:
Think about scan-and-go at Walmart.

Mark Collier:
Yeah. Yeah.

Misha Ford:
That helps on cost.

Mark Collier:
Oh, it sure does.

Misha Ford:
Right?

Misha Ford:
So that’s what will happen, as in we keep quitting our jobs-

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Misha Ford:
… because we get a 5% merit from someone else. Right? Right?

Mark Collier:
Yeah. Yeah.

Misha Ford:
And that’s how it kind of rolls out.

Mark Collier:
Great point. Great point.

Misha Ford:
Right?

Mark Collier:
All right. I like that. So let’s talk about life lessons, businesses, you get into that quite a bit. So what’s the most important lesson you’ve learned over your career and entrepreneurial journey that you can share with others?

Misha Ford:
Respect the journey.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
Be very patient.

Mark Collier:
Yeah. Yeah. Sound advice.

Misha Ford:
Patient is really going to be the key-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
… as a entrepreneur. And realize if you’re a intrapreneur-

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Misha Ford:
… play that journey.

Mark Collier:
What’s your definition of intrapreneur?

Misha Ford:
Right. So if I work for a corporation-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
… and I feel as though I’m running this department-

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Misha Ford:
… and I mean, I’m running it like it’s a business-

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Misha Ford:
… I’m an intrapreneur.

Mark Collier:
I like that. I do.

Misha Ford:
And then you have all the tools.

Mark Collier:
Yeah.

Misha Ford:
You have them, you are able to get the tools-

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Misha Ford:
… and you’re not just starting from nowhere, just throwing spaghetti on the wall.

Mark Collier:
No, that’s a great point. Employees who have the advantage of being an intrapreneur, where they have complete control over a division or sector of that company, they have an advantage. I mean, that’s a proving ground for our future entrepreneurs right there. So I definitely see your point on that one.

All right. So let’s talk about strategies businesses should consider to kind of help meet those staffing shortages. So, Mirah or Misha, you guys, either you want to tackle that one because a lot of companies, they’re putting their ear to the screen right now, they want to hear because it’s happening.

Mirah Young:
A great strategy that I do as the Executive Director of Operations-

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Mirah Young:
… is always check the HR trends and analytics.

Mark Collier:
Got it. Got it.

Mirah Young:
So we not only check the trends because it’s just a chart, it’s just numbers-

Mark Collier:
Right.

Mirah Young:
… we engage with the people-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
… we talk to them to see what is your experience?

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Mirah Young:
We do surveys, feedback for our clients. We have to know what is the issue before it even happens. So we try to-

Mark Collier:
I like that.

Mirah Young:
… look at forecast, what is going on now and what will be going on in the future.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
So by doing that, you can implement strategies that’s going to mitigate risk.

Mark Collier:
Well, then you’re taking what I like to term as a proactive approach.

Mirah Young:
Right.

Mark Collier:
You want to be ahead of the problems-

Mirah Young:
Always.

Mark Collier:
… that your clients are facing and you’re more of a kind of a subject matter expert for them-

Mirah Young:
Yes.

Mark Collier:
… if you guys have done all the homework on the front end.

Misha Ford:
Yes. Especially data analysis.

Mark Collier:
Oh yeah.

Mirah Young:
Yeah.

Mark Collier:
Yeah. Big data nowadays, data analytics, my previous guest prior to you guys coming, she runs a data analytics company. And that is a big deal nowadays.

Misha Ford:
Oh gosh.

Mirah Young:
Yeah.

Mark Collier:
Not only getting the data in but synthesizing it, analyzing it, and then having the outputs of the data that you can actually use.

Misha Ford:
Right.

Mark Collier:
I mean, it’s one thing to have a lot of data coming in but if you can’t analyze it and it’s of no use to you, I mean, what’s the point of having the data?

Misha Ford:
Sure. That’s true. Absolutely.

Mark Collier:
All right. So, Mirah, you mentioned a little bit about your proactive approach doing business. So how do you stay kind of ahead of the forever-changing staffing environment? What are some of your secrets there?

Mirah Young:
So that is a great question. So we have just opened a department basically for virtual expansion.

Mark Collier:
Oh, okay.

Mirah Young:
And I am going to be the lead on that project.

Mark Collier:
Fantastic.

Mirah Young:
So for virtual expansion, it is important for a lot of companies, or most companies, to realize that the metaverse is going to be the number one internet or encompassing thing that we need to-

Mark Collier:
Oh yeah. Big change.

Mirah Young:
… all be aware of.

Mark Collier:
Yes.

Mirah Young:
So one of our strategies right now, we are doing virtual expansion, and we are learning more about the metaverse in the HR world.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
Because just like everybody is familiar with Zoom.

Mark Collier:
Yep.

Mirah Young:
But the metaverse is going to be similar to Zoom, but it’s going to be a avatar so you don’t have to actually get dressed up, you just dress your avatar up and you’re talking to people like we’re talking right now-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
… in the avatar form. But that brings up risk because even in the HR department now, we still don’t have a real handle on diversification.

Mark Collier:
Got it.

Mirah Young:
And like you said with the data, when you’re collecting data-

Mark Collier:
Right.

Mirah Young:
… what can you do with that to have an outcome-

Mark Collier:
Absolutely.

Mirah Young:
… to have diversification for online?

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
You get what I’m saying? Because they are only looking at the charts, they’re not doing the engagement that we’re doing as people. So I think having that balance of knowing what’s going on in the metaverse-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
… knowing what’s to come-

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Mirah Young:
… and also continuing to have that in-person and engaged relationship is our number one strategy.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
Because without that real connection-

Mark Collier:
Sure.

Mirah Young:
… you’re not making relationships.

Mark Collier:
No, that’s makes perfect sense. I mean, they talk a lot about B-to-B or B-to-C, but it’s really H-to-H, human-to-human.

Mirah Young:
Right. Right. Oh, wow. Yeah. That’s what I’m going to… yeah.

Misha Ford:
Can I piggyback off of what she said?

Mark Collier:
Sure. Please do.

Misha Ford:
So right now, Deloitte is already doing research-

Mark Collier:
Mm-hmm.

Misha Ford:
… on horizon workloads.

Mark Collier:
Okay. Okay.

Misha Ford:
It’s going to be in that metaverse type of environment-

Mark Collier:
Ah, okay. Very good.

Misha Ford:
… where you build out your avatar.

Mark Collier:
Okay. Okay.

Misha Ford:
But they’re already doing the research, it’s already happening-

Mark Collier:
All right. So kind real-world application. So if I’m doing this show, I wouldn’t actually have to be here, I can have an avatar do this show and I can speak for my bedroom?

Mirah Young:
Right.

Misha Ford:
Pretty much. Pretty much.

Mark Collier:
That’s pretty cool.

Misha Ford:
And right? It’s fun.

Mark Collier:
Yeah.

Misha Ford:
And it depends. She does a lot in that metaverse, it’s a lot to learn, right?

Mark Collier:
Sure.

Misha Ford:
So that environment is going to happen.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
I started 12 years ago as a virtual assistant company.

Mark Collier:
All right.

Misha Ford:
So believe me, the metaverse in the next 10 years-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
… will definitely, definitely change a lot.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Mirah Young:
And it will change the way that HR is looked at overall.

Mark Collier:
All right. So you guys are staying at the cutting edge of that seismic shift?

Mirah Young:
Yes.

Misha Ford:
Yes.

Mark Collier:
Fantastic.

Mirah Young:
Yes.

Mark Collier:
All right. So give me a couple of business books that have been kind of motivating drivers for you over the course of your career. And what books would you recommend? Maybe top two.

Misha Ford:
Okay. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown.

Mark Collier:
I’ve heard of that book, haven’t read it. Now I’ll have to add it to my reading list.

Misha Ford:
Please do. That’s the book that really catapulted me out of corporate.

Mark Collier:
Okay. All right.

Misha Ford:
Because I had to just kind of be vulnerable to myself-

Mark Collier:
All right. Yep.

Misha Ford:
… as a professional.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
And then The Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David.

Mark Collier:
The Next Five Moves.

Misha Ford:
Next Five Moves.

Mark Collier:
I haven’t heard of that book. Okay.

Misha Ford:
Yes.

Mark Collier:
All right.

Misha Ford:
So The Next Five Moves, of course, it’s more about, depends… So I look at it like this, it’s more about family.

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
But your work family, that’s your family.

Mark Collier:
Yes. I would agree. I would agree.

Misha Ford:
That’s really your family. You’re here 8, 9 hours a day.

Mark Collier:
Yeah, that’s true.

Misha Ford:
That’s your family, learn to respect them the same way, bring the strategy, the same thing that you do at home-

Mark Collier:
Okay.

Misha Ford:
… at work, and give that respect every day.

Mark Collier:
I love it. I love it. All right. Misha Ford and Mirah Young of 3TG Staffing Solutions, I just want to thank you for taking time out of your busy day to-

Misha Ford:
Thank you.

Mirah Young:
Thank you.

Mark Collier:
… come in and just talk about the importance of HR strategies, and more importantly, what’s coming down the pipe in terms of HR innovations. And I’m happy to see you guys are staying at the cutting edge of that and I’m sure your clients are very, very grateful for that.

Misha Ford:
Ye. Absolutely. Thank you so much, Mark.

Mirah Young:
Thank you so much, appreciate it.

Mark Collier:
All right. Thank you.