Frank L. Gibson, the president and owner of training and consulting firm HR Support, told the Saipan Rotary Club on Tuesday that skilled workers will not hesitate to move to greener pastures if they can.
Gibson said with the looming military buildup on Guam, more opportunities there will be available, and CNMI companies may have to pay more money to retain their skilled manpower .
He said this is why companies need to consider that the HR department is important for any business.
He said as businesses start to cut operational costs, they should not overlook the importance of training employees to have more efficient operations.
“The HR department does not generate revenue, but it helps the income-generating arm of any company to provide the training necessary to make employees do their jobs better,” he said.
Training human resources and helping develop their skills will help a company to retain them and avoid spending time and money on training new employees.
The possibility of employees moving to Guam to seek better opportunities is not the only challenge business owners in the CNMI are facing, Gibson said.
The increase in the minimum wage rate is another issue that will affect businesses, especially smaller companies.
“Businesses are closing down one after the other because of the high operational costs, and things are not getting better,” he said. Amid the island’s bleak economy, Gibson said businesses should strengthen their human resource departments.
“The goal of businesses should be how to cut the manpower resources without cutting the quality of services provided to their clients,” he added.
Gibson has been a resident of the CNMI for almost 15 years. He is one of the founding members of the CNMI Chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management and has worked both as a line-manager of human resources and in the human resources office.
His office offers training on federal and local law compliance, investigation work on complaints, management skills, structural and documentary work, mediation, and all other aspects of employment for private and government companies. For information, e-mail [email protected] or call 322-3204.
