Innovative Ways to Find Good Employees in A Tight Job Market

If you own a business today, you likely have challenges finding and hiring good employees. This is especially true in the traditionally “blue-collar” positions such as the trades, manufacturing, retail, and food service. The good news is there are still customers for your business. The bad news is you can’t offer full service without full staff.
There are many reasons why we are in this situation, but that does not change the fact that you need people and you need them now. A lot of employers are so desperate they settle for hires who are a terrible fit for the role. These people usually don’t last very long and the process starts all over again. It’s frustrating and unproductive for everyone involved.
I contend much of this is due to both employers and employees using antiquated methods for job seeking that are no longer relevant in today’s climate. Traditional job seeking consists of the employer posting an ad and waiting for qualified candidates to respond. The ads typically request a list of characteristics and experiences the employer expects. The mindset of the candidate is that if I don’t meet these requirements, the job is not for me, so why apply.
This is unfortunate, because both may be missing out on opportunities to meet each other’s needs. Employers must begin to understand that the pool of qualified workers in their field is dry. In a time when you cannot find good employees, you may have to make them. Employees instinctively know this and many are open to being trained into a field that appeals to their basic interests.
To come out of the dark ages and into the 21st century of hiring, employers will have to:

• Work hard at onboarding, training, and rewarding employees.
• Provide modern-day perks, such as flexible hours, tele-commuting, and top pay.
• Nurture personal and professional relationships with candidates, employees and teams.
• Create a company culture that is inclusive, supportive, and professional.
• Only hire those who are good fit and have the expectation of staying for a long time.

Each of the conditions above should become part of your recruiting effort. Any time you attempt to attract employees, you should weave these stories into your message. For example; “we are a diverse and supportive company that values the needs to our people” and “our team members are continuously trained to maximize competence and confidence on the job.”
What you say makes potential employees think about what working for you is like and influences their decision to apply or not. Keep this in mind, good employees will only work for good companies. You must make yourself into a good company and tell people about it. Here are suggestions on how to deliver the message:

• Create videos using managers and employees talking about working at your company; include conditions, benefits, motivators, growth opportunities, and rewards.
• Post the videos on social media sites where potential employees may frequent, then monitor for responses and questions. Do this everywhere and as often as possible.
• Send an employee to local networking events to get to know the community and spread the word about your company.
• Talk to high school and community college guidance and career counselors about your needs and see if they know students interested in exploring your field. Be open to trial runs with candidates.
• Partner with other companies to share or trade employees who may be a better fit, seeking extra hours or additional opportunities.
• Sponsor community events, such as beer festivals, concerts, holiday fairs, and fundraisers. Set up a table to talk to attendees about what you do and who you need.

It is very important that you are open-minded to all ages and types of candidates. You never know who will turn out to be a great employee. Also, it pays off big to learn how to interview effectively and without bias. Then once you have a good hire, how you onboard and train them is critical to their performance and retention.
Team Learning Services can assist almost any business with their recruiting, hiring, onboarding, training, and retaining of great employees. Give us a call to comment on this article or to learn how we can work with you.