Steps Your Business Can Take to Minimize the Labor Shortage

Shortages have been affecting all areas of business for months, and there is no end in sight. Numerous supply chain issues have led to semiconductor, fleet, and equipment shortages nationwide. Labor shortages have also become all too common. Industries are noticing a severe lack of candidates for the open positions they have available.

Once you are lucky enough to find the right fit for a job, you need to ensure that your business will be able to retain the employee. Our parent company, Authority Brands, recently published a blog discussing How to Tackle the Labor Shortage. Authority Brands Chief Human Resources Officer, Donna Gosciej, discusses ways to recruit effectively and retain current employees and keep them engaged.

Stand Out When Recruiting New Talent

Looking for a qualified candidate to fill an open HVAC technician position is no longer as easy as simply putting up a job ad. These days, you need to stand out from your competition and highlight the benefits and culture of your company to entice people to want to work for you. A few things you can do:

• Offer competitive compensation that will stand out amongst your competitors.
• Outline a clear career path so potential hires know they can advance in your company.
• Offer referral bonuses to current employees so that if they refer someone who ends up accepting the position.
• Find new ways of recruiting different from your competitors, such as looking into recruiting at schools. Always carry your business card so if you meet someone out who may be job hunting, you can give them your correct contact information.
• Offer continued education and learning. At Successware, we offer a learning management system for our employees and customers regarding our modules and how to use them.
• Hire apprentices and teach them everything they need to know. This builds loyalty with the apprentice and gives your current employees more responsibility with teaching and mentoring someone younger or just learning the trade.
• Think outside the box when recruiting. If you have jobs that may be good for veterans, retirees, high school, or college students, make sure you target those audiences.

Provide a Positive Work Culture to Retain Current Employees

Keeping current employees is much easier than having to recruit and train someone new for a position. Here are a few tips for obtaining a high retention rate and ensuring your employees feel valued and want to stay at your company:

• Analyze your compensation structure and make sure it is competitive in the marketplace. Consider adding bonuses or commissions for sales or upsells.
• Offer full-time employment, the ability for overtime, and flexible hours to entice people to want to join your team.
• Look to your employees for suggestions on creating efficiencies at work and how they think your business can start automating tasks.
• Invest in your employees. Provide employees with ongoing training and advancement opportunities to constantly improve their skill sets, and so they feel valued.
• Have your employees help recruit for you and offer a referral incentive or bonus for employees who make referrals.

Learn more about how your business can help mitigate the effects of the labor shortage by recruiting qualified candidates and retaining current employees, check out the Authority Brands blog.