The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching repercussions, the most pressing of which is the severe shortage of available workers. The causes of this issue are multifaceted, but the solution is obvious: businesses must alter their practises if they want to continue attracting and retaining talented workers. This is particularly so in the staffing sector, which is dependent on a ready supply of employees to meet the needs of its customers.
Despite the Great Resignation’s end, the labour shortage persists. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, as reported by NPR, 2.9 percent of the workforce, or 4.3 million people, left their jobs in August. The leaders of human resources departments must address this rising difficulty by attracting and retaining the best employees possible.
People have been wondering which side human resources are on ever since the pandemic began and the earth shook.
The following are four methods for coping with staffing shortages that may help you find solutions to labour shortage issues.
Look beyond recruiting
One of the most important parts of hiring is the recruitment process, which can also be quite stressful. Recruiters have a delicate balancing act to perform, as they must be well-versed in both their specific duties and common employment liabilities. Despite the fact that a policy designed for staffing agencies might protect them from legal responsibility, recruiters still need to take precautions. Given the current workforce crunch, it may be time to rethink what it means to recruit and instead concentrate on talent management. The best recruiters are always looking for new ways to put their talents to use, not just for open positions. This change in approach has the potential to set a new tone and produce superior outcomes.
In the future, HR reps will take on the role of talent managers. Even for temporary, hourly positions, the best recruiters will maintain an active pool of potential candidates. Today, the pool of talent already known to your organisation is your most valuable resource. Staffing firms that thrive in today’s dynamic labour market will have figured out how to enlist the interest and commitment of their employees, as well as how to incentivize their retention and development.
Retention and training
It is not uncommon to find businesses that focus exclusively on recruitment and give little attention to employee retention. In fact, this is one of the primary causes of the current labour shortage. Even though many companies are able to successfully hire new workers, some of them will leave their positions within a short period of time, forcing the company to start the hiring process all over again. How can a business stop this from happening and increase employee retention? Providing opportunities for ongoing training is a great tactic.
Good workers are easily retrained for new roles. Using this method, you can increase billings per worker by a significant margin. Investment in the growth of enthusiastic employees pays dividends in the form of increased productivity and employee loyalty. You can keep your most reliable workers by investing in incentive programmes.
Community culture development
In recent years, it has become increasingly common for new hires to leave their positions within the first few months. A lack of workplace community may be one of the main reasons for this. It can be challenging for staffing agencies that place workers in temporary positions to sell a sense of community, but a sense of belonging does not require a sense of stability. Being a part of a community means always looking for ways to improve your team’s skills. As a result, this is crucial for staffing firms in their pursuit of attracting and keeping qualified candidates for a wide variety of positions.
You can expect a rapid diversification of your talent pool that will exceed anything you have seen before. Assessing, engaging, and training candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds will necessitate the creation of an inclusive and welcoming space, whether physical or virtual.
Understand supply and demand
With fewer workers available, wage growth is expected to accelerate. Wages are determined by the market forces of supply and demand, which state that if the demand for labour rises, so must wages. For this reason, it is crucial that staffing agencies plan ahead for the shift and allocate more money towards workers’ salaries. Increasing pay is a viable solution because low wages are a contributing factor to the labour shortage.
The law of supply and demand will exert pressure on wages whether or not lawmakers intervene. Particularly relevant to jobs that call for set working hours, physical exertion, and presence at the workplace. When your most cost-conscious customers are forced to decide between paying you more per hour and going without the work you need to do, it can be uncomfortable to have the conversation with them. It is possible you will also need to help employees get to and from work by arranging for transportation and child care.
Conclusion
To sum up, the value proposition for contract and temporary workers is evolving. As a result, the wage arbitrage gap between permanent and temporary workers will narrow. Incorporating dependable temporary workers on demand into an organization’s workforce strategy is where the real value lies. Rather than opting for less expensive labour hours, prioritising those that are most needed is the key to creating value.
The services offered by The Job Shoppe are one-of-a-kind and can be tailored to meet your specific needs, making your business more flexible and better equipped to deal with HR issues and the unknown. We can provide insight into effective candidate acquisition and access to large pools of candidates with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. In addition, we can generate comprehensive reports on metrics like turnover and absenteeism. Resources on employee engagement activities, reviews of employee performance, and team management are just some of the services we offer.
Send an email to hr@thejobshoppe.com for more information about the ways in which we can assist you.
