If you compare those numbers, every unemployed individual as of September 2022 could be hired into an existing opening and we would still have close to 5 million open positions. To put this in perspective, slightly more than 5 million people reside in the state of Alabama. Imagine having enough job openings for every person who lived in the state!
Sadly, these statistics are on par with pre-pandemic numbers reported in February 2020 when the unemployment rate was 3.5% and 5.7 million people reported being unemployed.
So, it may be fair to say that the challenges that employers are seeing are not “new,” just magnified after most of society has returned to pre-pandemic life.
Today’s Labor Market Challenges
Simply put, the demand for candidates in today’s market is outpacing the actual supply.
What does this mean for employers? There are many layers to this question, including:
- The impact of the pandemic. There appears to be a sense that the pool of candidates has not only thinned during/after the pandemic, but did so because of the effects of the pandemic. Are personal and family health decisions, political disagreements with local, state, and federal mandates made during the pandemic factors in a shrinking candidate pool?
- Candidates have more options. The more openings there are, the more choices a candidate has.
- Compensation has changed. Candidates seem to have greater control over what they are expecting in terms of pay. Union/Negotiated contracts aside, candidates appear to have a greater opportunity to demand higher pay, especially in positions that were typically driven by minimum wage laws.
- Generations in the workplace. Today’s workplace is incredibly diverse generationally, comprising up to five generations working together (Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation). How do employers attract and retain individuals who may have different viewpoints on life and different economic needs?
- Industry competition. With rising wages across many sectors, competition for candidates appears to no longer be sector-driven. For example, if a candidate can make $15 per hour as a special ed paraprofessional or make the same money in an entry retail position, what would convince the candidate that working with children who have special needs is a better opportunity?
Regardless of the reason, employers from all sectors are competing for a workforce that is not only shrinking in size, but being more selective as to whom they would like to work for.
How does an employer attract and retain candidates? We will share some creative benefit solutions (bargained and non-bargained) along with a few success stories.
Creative Benefit Solutions
How do school districts set themselves apart from other employers and attract quality candidates?
Listen. What are your hiring or offer-denial patterns? It is important to institute both formal and informal systems to collect data. HR departments that track how many positions were offered vs. how many were accepted can use this data to inform hiring practices.
Collecting this type of information can also guide future contract negotiations with the collective bargaining unit. Data collected by a preK-8 district in the northwest suburbs of Chicago yielded tuition reimbursement and mentor program inquiries among the most common benefit questions.
Be as flexible as possible. Realizing that the majority of school employees are in a bargaining unit, flexibility is sometimes difficult regarding work conditions, length of day, and calendar. However, if nothing else, COVID has allowed school personnel to master the use of virtual communication tools such as Zoom or Google Meet. Workshops, training, and other professional tasks that may take place virtually could provide the venue and flexibility for licensed staff to work from home on PD days. Consider providing non-licensed employees that are not in the bargaining unit—most commonly district office employees—the opportunity to work from home, work part time, or work four 10-hour days. Districts that consider this level of flexibility must in turn shape the office culture to accept different working conditions for employees.
Although fostering this type of working environment may be difficult at first, these employment practices could yield more candidates for hard-to-fill positions such as payroll.
Ensure Meaningful Onboarding. The old saying “they are interviewing us as much as we are interviewing them” could not be truer during a time when candidate pools are slim and openings are prevalent. A warm and welcoming tone in all communication from the moment a candidate is contacted for the interview goes a long way.
There are multiple ways to ensure new staff feel included in the school community from the moment they are hired. Many districts have successfully instituted optional onboarding fairs over the summer to bring in staff who will start at the beginning of the school year. The purpose of these pre-employment functions is to distribute technology tools, introduce staff to key members of the district office staff, highlight the resources available on the staff intranet, and allow time for informal conversation and questions.
The same level of care and attention should be given to all new employees, not just licensed staff. It is also important to consider staff hiring that does not align to the start of the school year. It is unfortunate, but a reality, that many times these individuals feel isolated and uncertain of where to seek answers to key questions.
Include a Mentoring Program. As mentioned earlier, candidates are asking specific questions about mentoring programs at the time they are considering a district’s employment offer. There are various ways districts implement a successful program that helps guide and support new staff while highlighting the professionalism and expertise of experienced teachers. Maintaining a program that is both flexible and accessible to new staff is key. Just in time mentoring and ways to seek guidance will deflate feelings of isolation for new staff.
Creativity Is Key
Knowing what today’s candidates are looking for and providing creative ways to meet those desires can go a long way to filling open positions district-wide. Good luck!