Planning for the worst - Recruitment: With Cliff Stoneman

Business Asia, Sept, 2002 by Cliff Stoneman

Everyone would prefer to avoid a worst-case scenario however, in the state of the world today, the issue of your employees' personal safety is critical and should not be ignored.

11 September has affected people globally and has seen the world enter a state of uneasiness. Suddenly security and safety issues are becoming top priorities, not only for defence forces and governments, but companies and individuals at large.

Safety concerns

Regardless of their geographic location, many businesses must address and meet the demands of their employees when it comes to personal safety and security. Now when assessing potential employers, high-caliber people are seeking a company who can offer them stability and security over flexibility. They want to work in an environment that presents them with a sense of safety and protection, and for a company that is committed to administering and implementing a crisis management strategy.

The fact is that fear is a powerful emotion and most people will not put themselves or their families at risk for the sake of career advancement.

In the event of a chemical attack or biological disaster would your company be prepared? What crisis management planning have you implemented and practiced to protect your people? This type of crisis requires an immediate and efficient response. People need to know what to do and should be made aware of the procedures prior to a disaster occurring. Communication is vital in a crisis and this must be outlined in a detailed plan, otherwise you are leaving your company open to vulnerability.

Evacuation drills

Evacuation is another important element of crisis planning. Attracting executives and specialists is imperative for many companies and can often be a difficult task if it means relocation, especially to a susceptible region of the world. These people need to know that they can return to their home quickly in the event of a crisis, otherwise there is no way they will consider taking up a position.

In terms of recruitment and attracting people, I'm not talking about hanging a security commitment on a reception wall or stating an attitude about security in a recruitment advertisement or other media--it's simply something that needs to be planned for and addressed when recruiting new employees and executives.

You may say I am an alarmist. Possibly, but we have no choice. If you are looking to attain top people to relocate from one side of the world to another you must be able to offer them stability, security and present to them a sound crisis management plan.

Cliff Stoneman is the managing director of eoc Consulting Asia Pacific.