It goes without saying: the US is tired of labor shortages. September was meant to be the grand month when the end of advanced unemployment benefits coincided with schools and other childcare services reopening and vaccination rates facilitating a return to the office. But, the reality of September did not align with the expectations.
While economists still expect an improvement in jobs and continued economic recovery in the future, the country is basically still on hold. Walking down the street, you’re bound to see a help wanted sign in nearly every other window of a bodega, restaurant, or retail shop, and managing a worker shortage is no easy task. Yet, companies must find ways to compensate for this employee shortage to maintain productivity and keep workers happy.
These employee shortages are hitting every sector, and many companies are struggling to fill positions. So how do you support your lean team during the holidays? Here are three ways:
1. Consider training (or re-training) current employees
Many companies have begun offering training to their existing employees in order to help fill current gaps. This can translate to in-house training, where an employee in a leadership position shares with others their expertise. Ideally, this is a cost-effective way for companies with few resources to increase their value without spending too much time and money.
Another option is, of course, outside training by offering employees incentives to return to school or additional training to get the education they need to fulfill a shortage of roles. While this route is more expensive and time-consuming, it also pays off in the long run. Besides the obvious benefit of having multi-skilled employees, the incentive alone can attract more talented workers.
2. Apply workforce skills in different ways
Many companies have discovered that they already have the people they need but utilize their skills in ineffective ways. Keep an open mind when looking at your employees, and pay close attention to their individual skills that could be transferred to different positions. The key to solving your skills shortage might be hiding right under your nose.
3. Evaluate your recruiting practices
If your staff shortage becomes a serious problem, it might be time to re-evaluate how you recruit new employees. Without hurting your company, you can still easily hire applicants with most of the right requirements and help them grow into the role. Or, you could try hiring applicants with all the right skills, but ones perhaps with less experience than you were initially looking for to bring fresh eyes and a new perspective to the table. Diversifying your hiring practices and considering transferable skills as mentioned before, you could find qualified, motivated individuals who can help your company reach its goals.
Helping Onboard Remote Teams
From providing resources on how to onboard remote teams, hiring remotely, or working with your employees to transition back into the office, TRC Staffing can help you. Contact us today to learn more about our staffing solutions.
