This blog was written by Brandon White, Director of Human Resources at Helpside. Brandon has more than a decade of experience, allowing him to make complicated employment situations and regulations approachable for small businesses.
Are you having trouble recruiting qualified applicants? Job seekers have a plethora of jobs available to them and it can be difficult to attract the talent that your business needs. We’ve come up with a list of ideas to help you fill your vacant positions.
Consider Employing Minors
If you abide by relevant child labor laws, utilizing youth to fill vacant positions can give your workforce the added boost it needs. Minors are often available to fill harder shifts such as the weekends and can bring an energy boost to your team.
Increase Wages
When is the last time you conducted a wage audit to see if your wages were competitive in your industry? Clients of Helpside can utilize salary surveys which will help you position yourself competitively.
Offer a Referral Bonus
If you have a position that is especially hard to fill you can tap into your current employee base and offer them referral bonuses. You can set parameters around the bonus such as paying half when the referred individual is hired and the other half after they have stayed with your company for a period of time. Paying your employees to help you recruit can save on the cost of advertising a position and often yields better results.
Expand Your Net
If remote work is an option, you can open your job search beyond your typical geographic area. But if you decide to recruit outside of your state be sure to keep in mind relevant labor laws for the state in which the prospective employee resides.
Revamp COVID-19 Policies
Some employees are fearful of returning to the workforce. Having a clearly defined COVID-19 policy can help alleviate that stress by showing your employees that you have a safe work environment. Reach out to your Helpside Human Resources team if you need assistance drafting a COVID-19 policy.
Offer Sign-on or Production Bonuses
These bonuses can be used to attract talent and close the deal. Consider mentioning these in your job advertisements to help attract candidates to your posting. Be clear when drafting these agreements so that if an employee does leave after a short period they have a full understanding of whether or not they need to pay back the bonus. Helpside clients can reach out to the Human Resources team for assistance drafting these agreements.
Get Creative with your Benefits
Consider offering benefits such as childcare or adoption assistance, parental leave, vacation allowances, commuter benefits, tuition reimbursement, housing assistance, elder care, gym memberships, and pet benefits. Be sure to check with benefits counsel prior to implementing these options to ensure you remain compliant.
We realize that it can be tough finding the right applicant for the job—especially in a tight labor market. By utilizing some of the above techniques we hope you can gain the competitive advantage you need to keep your operations fully staffed.