Breaking the Mold: Positioning TASUS to Win the Talent War

In August 2018, the Plant Manager of a TASUS manufacturing facility in rural Florence, Alabama, confronts a human resource management challenge: How to recruit and retain employees with needed skills, given low unemployment both locally and nationwide as well as increased competition from manufacturers who recently moved into Northwest Alabama? The TASUS plant managers are proud of its family-oriented culture, positive working relationships with employees who are empowered to search for ways to improve productivity and firm performance. The firm works diligently to create a culture in which employees feel empowered, recognized and respected. During some exit interviews, TASUS managers discover that employees are leaving for “personal reasons” or higher pay elsewhere. TASUS faces the challenge, similar to many firms in today’s competitive marketplace, of attracting, retaining, and engaging high performing workers. In an employee-driven labor marketplace, how can TASUS differentiate itself from its competitors in the war for talent, and how can it retain its talented workers? The pending decision consists of whether to stay the course which includes maintaining their current talent management approach or modify their current strategy. This decision will impact all areas of the company, as is true of most talent management decisions.