Recruitment for skilled labor was already challenging even before the coronavirus disease reared its ugly head. Some industries (healthcare, food retail shops, and logistics and delivery services) were able to step up their hiring processes as the demand for their goods and services also continued to increase. However, some industries also saw a decline in their need to add new workers.
If you had been having trouble recruiting for a skilled workforce, here are five tips you could use to get back into active hiring once the pandemic is over.
Tip 1: Forego the importance of a college degree.
Many companies require skilled laborers to have not just a college degree, but also a post-graduate degree. Understandable if you were hiring for positions in advanced medical technology, but most industries could do away with this requirement. If you’re in manufacturing, for instance, you don’t need a college degree to operate a forklift rental to move inventory. But you need to have a license or certification.
When you become less restrictive with your education requirement, you’ll find that you’ll have a more robust talent pool to choose from.
Tip 2: Offer a range of training programs.
Now that you’ve eased up on your candidate’s educational attainment, you could attract more employees by offering training programs. You can take this a step further and partner with vocational schools and offer scholarships and apprenticeship programs for their top students. This method has two benefits for your company: you get a skilled worker who can add value to your company and you are able to boost your business’s image with the public. Consumers often patronize establishments that sell quality products and services and do good things for their community.
Tip 3: Boost your employee referral program.
Word-of-mouth is still the best way to advertise your company’s products and services. Customers who like what you do will share their enthusiasm with their friends and family. Why not apply the same technique to your recruitment process? You could offer extra cash for every successful candidate you hired based on their recommendations.
Once again, you could hit two birds with one stone with this scheme: the more referrals you get, the more you know your employees’ morale is high. If you don’t get any or only a few referrals, you might have to re-evaluate company policies.
Tip 4: Ensure that your employees are properly compensated.
Talk about the best way to boost employee engagement and morale! Most people work because they need money to earn a living. Making sure that your employees enjoy fair wages and useful benefits would add to their trust and loyalty with your business.
You also need to remember that the more skilled the worker is, the higher they expect their salary to be. So you have to step up your salaries and benefits program if you want to attract better candidates.
Tip 5: Promote or hire great managers.
They say many people leave their job not because of the work itself, but because of how their managers treat them. A power-hungry manager who does nothing but barks orders and takes credit for the team’s victories won’t do your company any favors. Instead, hire managers that have great empathy for their workers, yet could stand firm in the face of unreasonable demands. Your skilled workforce will thank you for it.
