Short-Staffed for the Long-Term? Consider These 5 Tips for Managing Staff Shortages

Do your job listings have little more than tumbleweeds scrolling past? Does your company page on Indeed resemble a post-apocalyptic wasteland? If so, it might be time to pump up your recruitment efforts and play up your culture to manage your staffing shortage best. Otherwise, you could risk lagging behind your competitors who are snagging top talent for sport. 

Large fluctuations in the workforce have marked the past few years, so it’s only fitting that your staffing processes progress with the times. For those employers navigating an employee’s market and recruiting in areas with record-low unemployment rates, check out these quick tips for effectively managing your staffing shortages.

Utilize a staffing agency 

In the 21st century, one of the most progressive, popular ways to fill seats in a business is through a staffing agency. Particularly if you are looking to find qualified professionals in the medical sector, a staffing agency can expand your network while guaranteeing a swift process with experienced candidates. If you are a human resources professional at a healthcare facility, consider using a medical staffing agency like Fusion Med Staff. With the help of these staffing specialists, you can nip staffing shortages in the bud without missing a beat. 

Look far and wide 

If you do not have success with candidates in your targeted pool, consider varying your search to accommodate people from different backgrounds and geographical locations. Though you may not immediately think that a candidate would be willing to make a commute or transition between industries, the right employee can change your mind in a snap. 

Play up your company culture 

The best advertisement for a new hire is a positive first-hand testimony from a current employee. Further, great culture can help retain the staff you have, limiting the exacerbation of your shortage. By establishing a welcoming environment through small incentive gifts, free snacks, or spectacular holiday parties, current employees will feel appreciated, and future employees will experience major application-inducing FOMO. 

Use social media 

An up-to-date online presence is critical in drawing in a savvy staff. Promoting your job listings on social media expands the reach of your search, drawing in far more applicants from a broader range of backgrounds. Further, social media is a great tool to engage with your current employees. Featuring all-star workers and doing small giveaways can humanize your business while making your current employees feel well-respected in the face of their heightened workload during your staffing shortage. 

Be competitive 

While your board of directors is taking weeks to grapple with the salary ask of a qualified candidate, another company is swooping in with swift, concrete offers that will blow uncertainty out of the water every time. If you think you have found an ideal employee in your job search, don’t be afraid to give them the complete package in exchange for their quick acceptance and full support. Further, company-wide principles like bonus structures, generous paid time off, and stellar benefits only serve to draw better candidates who want to hop on your team ASAP. 

Before you go 

If you’re dealing with a staffing storage, don’t panic. The right employees are out there. You simply have to show them what your company is made of. Whether you use a medical staffing agency to guarantee the best, brightest candidates or take to social media to give your listings a shout-out, your office will be a full house soon enough.