Most Common Staffing Challenges of 2021 and How to Overcome Them
Your staff is one of your business’s most important assets. They are the liaison between your company and its clients. They are the face of the brand, representing it for better or for worse. As a result, finding the right staff is absolutely vital to ensuring your company’s success.
Staffing is no easy feat, and there are a number of unique challenges you’ll likely encounter through this process. Fortunately, there are creative solutions you can use to get past these struggles and set your business on the path to success. If you’re wondering what these challenges and their solutions are, read on to learn more.
The Challenges
1. Economic Disruption
Staffing under difficult economic conditions is a massive hurdle plaguing employers in 2021. According to the OECD, the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic triggered the deepest economic recession in almost a century. This disruption significantly impacted various facets of life, including health, economic activity, and employment.
In the wake of the crisis, organizations and employees alike are struggling in the face of uncertainty. With the virus ever-present, it’s difficult for employers to know exactly what the future holds (i.e. how many employees they will need to hire to fill certain gaps).
2. Virtual Recruitment
With global lockdowns and stay-at-home orders, in-person recruitment and interviewing was effectively eliminated. In its place came virtual recruitment. While it presents an effective alternative, virtual recruitment requires a different set of skills and approaches. Managers need to understand how to use different platforms to connect with potential hires. They need to grow increasingly comfortable in manipulating these platforms to conduct interviews or tests. This is challenging enough on its own, but if a manager is time-poor due to competing priorities, it grows even more difficult.
3. Talent Shortages (in Certain Industries)
According to XREF, certain client-facing sectors – such as hospitality and retail – are suffering from a lack of available talent. This is because many of these positions are traditionally filled by temporary visa holders, many of whom had to return to their home countries in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. Similarly, organizations operating in care industries are struggling with talent shortages as staff are still unable to work in many places.
The Solutions
When it comes to surmounting these hurdles, there are several strategies you can implement. To start, develop a long-term recruitment strategy. Hiring shouldn’t simply be a matter of filling vacant positions as needed. It should include a thought-out, strategic set of procedures. In your plan, include information on where to access strong talent (i.e. institutions and organizations that good employees are known to come from). Your plan should also include actions for getting involved with these entities, such as attending functions. The strategy should also clearly define your brand and what sets it apart from the competition.
Additionally, don’t be afraid to outsource to an external staffing agency like HeadHunting, Inc. These agencies specialize in finding and actively recruiting the best talent for your company. When you entrust a recruitment agency with your staffing activities, you can rest easy knowing you’ll get top-tier candidates in your pool. Plus, you’ll save valuable time that you can dedicate to other initiatives within your business.
Finding the right staff for your organization is often a long, winding road full of speed bumps. However, with the right approach and the right tools, you can glide through the journey with greater ease.
