With the holiday season fast approaching, many small-business owners are gearing up to ensure they have a strong team on the ground to maximise profit potential this year. However, as the war on talent continues to intensify, employers are fronting increased competition for seasonal workers who are already in short supply.
This is particularly true for Australia’s retail industry, which relies on an influx of fast hires for peak shopping periods including Black Friday and Christmas. With over 40,000 unfilled retail jobs in Australia, small-business owners in particular are feeling the overwhelming pressure to fill these gaps before their competitors.
When the labour market is tight, those looking to hire temporary workers must be resourceful in their approach, acting quickly with chatbots and text messages to prevent top candidates from dropping out, and after-hours interviews to prevent applicants from turning to competitors for faster employment. With that in mind, here are three tactics to help small-business owners combat the stress of hiring during the holidays.
Be honest about expected job responsibilities
Clearly communicating job expectations at the interview stage, including expected hours, days in the office and or manual labour requirements can help to ensure that both parties assume active responsibility for their role.
As an employer, you don’t want to be in the cycle of selling a false narrative to get quick hires through the door, only to have employees quitting a few weeks later due to miscommunicated expectations. It is more likely that your preferred candidate will accept your offer if you provide a pleasant and honest recruitment experience. Getting rid of formalities and encouraging honest dialogue will break down barriers between interviewers and interviewees.
Explore untapped talent pools
Many small-business owners wear multiple hats, juggling a variety of roles at the one time. Yet extra support is often needed when it comes to busier shopping periods.
As part of the Australian Government’s effort to address skills and labour shortages, students and training visa holders will be allowed to work 40 hours every two weeks in any sector until 30 June 2023. The Australian Government intervention comes as the labour and skills crisis worsens. This is an excellent opportunity to secure retail staff and meet their sales quotas throughout the Black Friday and Christmas surge.
Using machine learning technology in the hiring process is another way to unlock new talent pools. This enables employers to get rid of stereotypes and preconceived notions about what makes a good hire, as well as unconscious human bias in candidate screening. In other words, harnessing the right tech will enable you to assemble a team of diverse people, fast.
Be flexible
According to our Global Hiring Survey 2022, over half (54 per cent) of employers found that integrating greater flexibility into the hiring process allowed them to meet talent demands more successfully, and more quickly. For employers looking to stand out in a crowded recruitment market, demonstrating a commitment to flexibility is key, and this starts first in the recruitment process.
So, how do employers integrate flexibility into the hiring process? One word: technology.
By integrating on-demand options like skills assessments and pre-recorded video interviews, candidates can present their talents at a time that suits them, a perfect solution for those who may be balancing studies, unpredictable schedules or are parents and carers.
It’s often said that you’re only as good as your team, so for small-business owners who live and breathe their product, choosing the right team is everything. Thanks to technology, flexibility, and more open hiring procedures, small-business owners can now spend less time stressing about their hiring process and more time growing their business.
