While you may or may not be able to coast through the current hiring crisis easily, it is always helpful to have some tricks up your sleeve in the case of an emergency. The following tips are not surefire fixes or a guaranteed solution, but they are definitely a great place to start if you find that your business is starting to flounder in this uncertain time.
Offer Better Pay and Benefits
The laborers of your market really do want to work – the root of the issue is that they want to work in a fair and healthy environment. The first step is to think honestly about the current state of your business. Is your business culture one where you show the employee that you cherish their hard work and contributions? Is the current rate of pay and benefits – beyond being simply on par for the rest of the current market – reflecting that appreciation? If you feel that something is amiss, it might be time to reevaluate whatever factor is holding your business back. Make sure your finances are equipped to deal with whatever adjustments you make.
Hire Remote Workers
One good thing about working in a post-pandemic world is the necessary reality of remote workers. Of course, they have their advantages and disadvantages like anything else. But at the very least it means that you can expand your hiring pool beyond your locality, thus expanding your options hundredfold. Not only will it expand your options, but workers tend to like working remotely more, since it saves time and allows for more flexibility. It could even be offered to local workers as a benefit. If you decide to go with this option, make sure to do your research on how to implement it properly – remote employees should use a VPN to protect critical company data.
Improve Company Culture
Hiring new workers is only one-half of the challenge. The other half is maintaining the workers you already have. The best way to both go about this, and also to improve the state of your business generally, is to open an honest line of communication. Sit down with each employee and ask what they feel would be an obstacle to their staying employed. Find out what they feel is unfair, and what they would like to improve. When employees know that you truly care for their wellbeing in the workplace, they will want to stay. Creating an authentic environment of support is probably the best thing you can do.
While there is no easy or one-size-fits-all solution for a hiring crisis, it’s important to identify the root of whatever your company’s hiring problem is. And it’s never simply the situation – if you want your company to be exceptional, it should also be exceptional to its employees. That is what makes a difference in a crisis.
Check out this article on how to integrate new employees into your company culture!
