Post-Covid: Employees in limited supply
Most companies are raring to get back to business, but can't seem to find job candidates to fill vacated positions - or newly created jobs. How can you find the people you need for your business to flourish again?
You can start by registering with every employment agency in your area, as well as posting job openings online with services such as indeed.com, careerbuilder.com or ziprecruiter.com
Once plentiful, job candidates are now scarce.
When listing employment opportunities online or with local agencies, make sure you identify the perks of working for your firm. Let job-seekers know "What's in it for me?" Your company may not have many of the big drawing cards like fully paid insurance premiums or four weeks of vacation. If you think hard enough, though, you can list benefits people may not find elsewhere, such as:
Pleasant environment
Positive people
Promotion and fast advancement
You'd be surprised how many people would gladly pick conditions of employment like those.
After filling as many full-time jobs as you can with the help of online or storefront agencies, consider hiring temporary people to fill empty positions. Temps often start with companies like Manpower, Forge or Kelly Services to scope out their options. Many companies now prefer to hire from temporary agencies before committing themselves to a full-time employee who may turn out to be the wrong person.
Consider job-sharing positions. Some people like to work only mornings or afternoons, leaving the other part of their job open to another person. Dividing full-time work into two part-time jobs with different titles and responsibilities is another good way to attract candidates who have a lot to contribute for just 20 hours a week or so.
If you still have openings to fill, you might find candidates through some non-traditional means:
1. Hold job fairs at places where people gather in your community (malls, for example).
2. Develop news releases for local media to announce job fair dates - and that your company is hiring.
3. Send postcards to everyone on your current mailing list, offering incentives for tips that lead to hiring.
4. Take out ads in newsletters from churches, charities and other groups that work with people.
5. Look outside your area to towns or neighborhoods with high unemployment rates.
6. Contact placement departments at schools and colleges.
Visit cameo100.com for more than 100 ways to make your business more successful. Order our job-related self-help books for job-seekers and human resource managers at cameo100.com
