Today there is a combination of employee shortages and higher-than-usual job openings.
Employers cannot fulfill customer orders because of this lack of labor and high levels of employee turnover. And so employers have turned this battle for talent into a series of wage wars.
As a staffing agency, we are definitely seeing the effects of high number of job openings vs. few available applicants. We frequently look to see why this shortage is occurring and how we can help remedy a solution. So far, we have found there is only one solution to getting people to apply with us and our clients, versus other companies. Offer a variety of positions, shifts, and, of course, COMPETITIVE PAY!
Right now, employers everywhere are experiencing a wage war. Several of the companies we work with have recently raised their wages in order to be more attractive to job seekers. We have also taken notice of multiple factories in the area raising their direct-hire wages and offering new-hire bonuses. The hardest part, though, is losing employees to those positions. We recently have lost employees that have been with us for a long time to other organizations because it’s hard for them to resist gaining a $5+/hr pay increase. This just goes to show that when we say “it’s all about the pay,” it really is. For someone to leave a job they are comfortable with, where they have made good friends, and enjoy a routine, for something new and unknown, it has to be worth it. At the end of the day, people are usually looking to better themselves and support their families, and by significantly increasing their pay, they are doing just that. We wish each of those individuals well, and will look to welcome them back if their circumstances change!
We highly encourage every company that is struggling to keep employees, to hire employees, to get people to apply, or get new-hires to show up for work when hired, to ask yourselves “why?” Is your offer of pay and benefits truly competitive for today’s market? Get on hiring websites such as Indeed, Zip Recruiter, LinkedIn, and Google jobs and look closely at what similar companies in the area and market sector are offering employees. How do you compare when viewed against their starting wages, bonuses, benefits, position requirements, and long-term promotion and career opportunities? Requiring too many strict qualifications and hard-to-obtain experience for a common position is an automatic fault and will make perfectly qualified people skip right over you. Do you really need a high school diploma/GED for that position? Are they really not eligible to come back if they worked with you before? Is a pristine background check result really necessary? Being more flexible in your willingness to think outside the box can help you obtain more applicants and fill positions more quickly. Lastly, don’t make your hiring process a long, drawn-out ordeal. Right now we are losing candidates in just a few days’ time because another company calls them and offers them something to start immediately. It is worth it to have someone to help you with processing and contacting applicants quickly.
Shannon Staffing is always happy to help you with your hiring needs and questions regarding the applicant pool. We are always honest and will not lie by saying we have tons of ready-and-waiting applicants, because the truth is, no one does these days. There are creative and successful ways to remain on top and to be better than others. And we are more than willing to talk with you about how to do so, to meet your hiring needs!
(written by: Crystal)
