How to Overcome Staffing Challenges Post-Pandemic

A major challenge of running a business is implementing the right small business strategy to help develop scalable long-term company growth. The best way to ensure your business can grow is by hiring great employees and keeping them long-term. However, after the COVID-19 pandemic, the natural flow for hiring and retaining employees has been disrupted. Many small business owners had no choice but to make layoffs, and employees had to alter their career paths to make ends meet. Now, as we’re learning to live and work in year two of the pandemic, we’re seeing massive shifts in service industry workers and the hiring pool. We wish we had a magic solution to improve hiring for small business owners, but we have some good news: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reported total employment is projected to grow with an increase of 11.9 million jobs over the next eight years, with employment in the food preparation and service industry seeing an increase of 20%. To help you make the most out of this positive change, we are sharing our tried-and-true small business strategy for overcoming staffing challenges and setting your business up for future growth and success.

#1 Incorporate Creativity and Flexibility Into Your Listings

A sound approach to creating flexibility within your business is to employ part-time workers, freelancers, and interns. While it used to be difficult to find top performers willing to work for anything less than a full-time position, many candidates today prefer the flexibility of these “gig” roles. For example, if you’re in the restaurant industry, the Bacon app would be an excellent solution for listing shift jobs. Candidates on the app are already background checked and have reviews from previous employers, making it a quick and easy hiring process for you. Additionally, establishing an internship program in partnership with a local high school or college could be an excellent option for filling your employee pipeline long-term. And, hiring temps for emergencies or during peak periods of your business is also a good idea, allowing you to stay flexible and get the job completed without increasing your overhead.

#2 A Great Small Business Strategy Is Creating Cross-generational Employee Teams

​​The pandemic forced some of the recently-retired Baby Boomers back into the workplace, which meant that a single employee team these days can consist of up to four generations:

• Baby Boomers
• Generation X
• Millennials
• Generation Z

Figuring out how to navigate a cross-generational team and blend each generation’s unique experience and skills into one cohesive unit can be challenging. At the same time, it can be rewarding for everyone involved. To work around these issues and avoid any conflicts that may arise regarding experience or seniority, it is essential to:

• Clearly define roles
• Outline responsibility and decision authority
• Implement a practical communication framework within the team

#3 Partnering Up as a Small Business Strategy: Turn to a Local Chamber of Commerce or Small Business Association

When you can’t find the people with the skills you need, it can negatively impact productivity for your business. Another option for promoting your business and finding what you need is looking into your local chamber of commerce or small business associations. Turning to larger bodies is a valuable way to improve a local business’s visibility and credibility. It also allows you to connect and network with other small businesses in your area experiencing similar business issues as yours. Chambers of commerce provides access to valuable resources, discounts, and relationships that help businesses save time and money and further market their products and services. Utilizing this or a local small business association to advertise your job listings will help spread the word for your business.

#4 Update Your Website to Promote Job Listings

Adding a Careers Page to your website is a great way to attract talent to your business. When using the right keywords, your page can show up on search engines, attract casual job seekers, and provide the information serious job hunters need to decide if they want to work for you. Additionally, you can promote your Careers Page via your business and personal social media channels for further exposure. And, to go that extra step, why not advertise your Careers Page on local college campuses. Students are always an excellent resource for shift or temp jobs, so it’s always worth trying. A “perfect” team doesn’t exist, but working with the right people can help reach your long-term goals and address your most urgent concerns. If you’re looking for a Partner to strengthen your small business strategy, it’s time to learn  about Promenade’s all-in-one solution. If you would like to learn more about Promenade, book a demo to see how we can help your business grow.