Labor shortage means that there are more jobs available than unemployed people. This phenomenon is fast becoming a prominent issue in the United States and some European countries. For example, at the end of 2021, there were millions of job openings across the US, while the number of people leaving their jobs rose to 4.3 million.
The pandemic is generally identified as one of the main causes of labor shortages. But the truth is that even before COVID-19 there were more open positions than people to fill them. Workers are also voluntarily resigning because they no longer want to be subjected to low wages, poor working conditions, or industries that do not offer benefits.
To combat the labor shortage, your company should focus on certain ways to attract and retain talent. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Making the Recruitment Process Easy and Rewarding
There are no huge lines of people looking for work, so it no longer makes sense to have a lengthy, difficult recruitment process. Be more creative with it. You can always hire the services of a staffing agency, but posting ads online to advertise job openings already does the trick.
Experts have noted that running such ads ensures a high level of visibility for viewers on a global scale. This can motivate more persons to seek jobs and consequently cut down on labor shortages.
But avoid too bureaucratic or boring ads. Publicize your company’s strengths, especially the differential that the competition is not offering. A more playful and fun ad can attract more interest, but make sure your business is fun too.
Partner Up
If online ads are not responding, synergizing with notable groups and organizations in recruiting budding talent may be the best solution. Try to partner up with any association that can help you reach unemployed job seekers: high schools, college job fairs, extracurricular programs, etc.
Alternatively, your company could offer free training or skill-building workshops to engage prospective workers. It is a win-win situation.
Automate the Business Where Possible
Many jobs are difficult to fill simply because workers can no longer bear to do boring, repetitive tasks. Investing in the automation of some processes can ensure these time-consuming job operations are undertaken within the shortest possible time.
Automation encourages more people to seek available opportunities because they know their talents will be put to good use in other areas rather than wasted on time-consuming tasks.
Be sure to invest in the most suitable automation technology. If in doubt, research the advantages of software like UiPath vs. Power Automate.
Flexibility with Staff Schedules
Be more sensitive to the needs of your staff; after all, workers aren’t robots that can be programmed to work a certain number of hours without stopping. Flexible schedules can encourage job seekers and reduce labor shortages.
One way to do this is to consider your workers’ preferences and their private lives when creating schedules. During the recruiting process, try to identify who is most apt to work the day shift or the night shift, and how these periods affect their productivity.
The best way to encourage workers to stay with you for a long time is to provide good time management and be balanced in the face of conflicts caused by emergencies, such as a family issue or illness.
Perk Up Workers Benefits
Nobody wants to work in a toxic environment. Offering benefits could spur more people to seek jobs in your company and keep them satisfied. Increasing wages or offering financial incentives as a reward for outstanding professionals are the most common ways of doing it.
More recently, in the face of labor shortages, some companies are offering even more advantages to attract and retain talent – including deserving accommodation or payments for holiday trips.
Take some time to think of the best benefits package you can offer. And be creative, because people who feel good about your company are more likely to stay longer and recommend it to others.
Labor Shortage Demands Better Job Offers
There are several reasons for labor shortages. COVID-19 is certainly one of them, but companies in different industries face their own challenges.
Faced with this complex moment, you will have to re-examine your approach to recruiting and training, and especially the benefits your company offers, to attract and retain workers.
But don’t forget the employees you already have. There are fewer candidates out there, so you need to keep the ones you have.
Workers that take root in one place are the best way to attract new people. After all, a happy worker is great marketing.