Improve Your Hiring Process in the New Year

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Many people like to make a New Year’s resolution – they’ll hit the gym more, read one book per week or learn how to cook that great dish. There’s also an opportunity for hiring managers to make some professional resolutions of their own. After helping many managers over the years, we have some thoughts on how you can streamline and improve your hiring process as we welcome 2020.

There are some basic steps that you can take to make sure that your hiring process is firing on all cylinders. These strategies have immediate benefits in the form of smoother recruiting and the retention of your best talent.

Standardize your process

Hiring processes, especially those at smaller organizations, can be all over the place. There might not be a clear process on who is interviewing candidates, how feedback is shared and who needs to be notified of the next steps. This is frustrating for employees and job seekers alike. We recommend standardizing this process so that everyone is on the same page regarding expectations and next steps. A flow chart is a good way to help everyone visualize these ideas.

Harness the power of social media

Social media is a powerful tool across all facets of our lives. Recruiting and hiring are no different. Candidates will research your organization across these mediums and it’s partially up to you to ensure that they like what they see. Interacting with job seekers via blog posts, tweets and postings on other networks will be integral to reaching top candidates for your openings.

Revamp your job postings

Think about your job descriptions that are currently posted. When’s the last time they were refreshed? Have you been posting the same description for the same role for a few years now? Chances are that its outdated, causing some candidates might be skipping right over it. Take the time to look back through your postings and make sure the language is spruced up and appealing to current job hunters.

Show candidates why your company is the best

Job seekers want to see companies putting real thought and effort into finding and retaining key personnel. Your website and hiring process should reflect how seriously your company takes the satisfaction of candidates. Your company benefits should be clearly described on your website, for example, and your hiring team should be prompt in providing feedback on all applications.

Seek outside help

Another option for hiring managers to consider is using an agency for positions that have been difficult to fill. Our team is a professional and detail-oriented group that knows how to draw the best talent for your organization. We deliver the results that dynamic companies need, and we can help you achieve your hiring goals.

Every new year brings an opportunity for individuals and businesses to assess and improve themselves. Your hiring process should be part of this reflection and evaluation. An improved hiring strategy will pay dividends for years to come and help ensure a fruitful and sustainable future for your organization. Contact us today so we can discuss your hiring needs.

Minnesota Employers Struggling to Find Skilled Laborers

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We know from listening to our clients that Minnesota employers have had a difficult time finding skilled laborers to fill job openings. Although Minnesota added 7,400 jobs in October – up substantially from 1,100 new jobs in August – companies still need help recruiting the employees they need.

The sectors that created new jobs include leisure and hospitality; trade, transportation and utilities; manufacturing; and construction. Leisure and hospitality saw the biggest boost, with 4,900 added jobs.

While these gains are good for job seekers, they aren’t good for companies. Without a reliable pool of skilled workers, businesses have been unable to create new jobs, hurting the state’s economic growth. While the number of new jobs has increased since the summer, Minnesota trails behind economic growth in other states.

Inability to find skilled workers is a top complaint from Minnesota companies across sectors. Companies are struggling to replace baby boomers upon retirement. When these workers retire, they take with them decades of knowledge about a particular industry and/or company. The more skill or training required, the harder it is for companies to fill these vacant roles.

The construction industry has been hit hard by the skilled labor shortage. In a survey by Associated General Contractors (AGC), 92 percent of Minnesota employers reported difficulty filling jobs for some or all hourly and salaried positions. Nearly half believe it will continue to become harder to hire over the next year.

Creating a pipeline of skilled workers

Some companies are working to train new and existing employees for more skilled and technical positions. The state government created the PIPELINE Program offers grants designed to help businesses find, train and retain skilled workers.

However, some training programs have proven unreliable. The AGC survey also reports that businesses find four in 10 workers coming out of technical programs to be poorly prepared, and that half only had “fair” training.

Another way that businesses are working to handle the gap is by turning to automation. Instead of hiring more employees, they are purchasing more equipment to increase productivity. While this helps in the short-term, it could harm how future workers are trained for skilled jobs.

Attracting and retaining skilled workers

While the state remains in a talent crisis, your business needs to impress skilled candidates so that they want to work for – and remain working for – your business.

Employees are looking for more than just wages to attract them to a job. Benefits like health care, retirement, tuition reimbursement and daycare will help meet If you want your business to stand out from your competitors, listen to their needs and consider how you can address them.

Many companies are finding success training employees themselves rather than waiting for them to complete a technical program. Young and mid-career employees who are eager to learn and/or have leadership experience would be excellent for an in-house training program. Offering opportunities for a promotion and job development will make your company more attractive and make employees feel more appreciated.

If you’re interested in how you can attract more skilled candidates to your business, we’re here to help. Contact us today so we can discuss your hiring needs.

Government Programs That Reward You for Hiring

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The primary benefit of hiring is that you add an excellent employee to your team. In some cases, your company can get a tax credit or a grant for hiring individuals from certain populations thanks to government programs. It’s a win-win for employers: they hire someone to fill a needed position while receiving a financial incentive. Meanwhile, the government is helping qualified candidates who have faced barriers to employment find meaningful work.

Interested in hiring an employee who helps you qualify for one of these programs? Below is a summary of how your business can qualify.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit

The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit that rewards employers for hiring people from certain groups. Designated groups have historically faced significant barriers to employment. The purpose of the program is to encourage workplace diversity and to help place qualified candidates in good jobs.

The types of employees eligible for WOTC cover a wide variety of situations, including:

  • Qualified IV-A recipient: An individual who receives assistance under title IV part A of the Social Security Act relating to Temporary Assistance for Need Families.
  • Qualified veteran: There are several conditions that can qualify an employer for hiring a veteran. Instances include veterans who are part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), veterans who have been unemployed long-term and disabled veterans entitled to compensation.
  • Ex-felon: An individual hired within a year of being convicted of a felony or of being released from prison for a felony.
  • Designated Community Resident: An individual between the ages of 18 and 40 who lives in an Empowerment Zone, an Enterprise community or a Renewal community.
  • SNAP recipient: An individual between the ages of 18 and 40 who have received SNAP assistance in the past six months.
  • Qualified long-term unemployment recipient: An individual who has been unemployed for no less than 27 weeks at the time of hiring and received unemployment at some point during that time.

Credits for improving access for disabled employees

There are two credits related to improving workplace access for disabled employees. The Disabled Access Credit provides small businesses with a non-refundable credit for any expenditures related to providing access to persons with disabilities. The Barrier Removal Tax Deduction incentivizes businesses of all sizes to remove architectural and transportation barriers. While these credits benefit changes you make for disabled employees – allowing you to widen your candidate pool for hiring – the changes also benefit customers.

Minnesota Apprenticeship Initiative

In 2015, the U.S. Department of Labor granted the Minnesota Department of Labor $5 million for an apprenticeship initiative. The initiative is developing new apprenticeship programs in five industries: advanced manufacturing, agriculture, health care, information technology, and transportation. Registered employers receive $5,000 per apprentice to offset related costs.

If you’re interested in hiring employees that help you qualify for these credits, Award Staffing can help. We screen our applicants for the very best candidates to find you the perfect match. Contact us today to learn more.

How to Demonstrate Employee Value

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Yes, it takes commitment, but the challenge isn’t as tough as you might expect. Employees who have confidence in the company leadership, share the vision and feel valued are more engaged and stimulate positive company morale. Here are 5 ways to make a great start.

Communicate:

From introducing a new employee to your company’s mission, values, and purpose to creating and keeping engagement among your staff, communication is essential. And, it’s more than making sure the memos and updates about logistics go out. It includes:

  • • Ensuring that everyone connected to a project receives all the pertinent information.
  • • Putting some fun and creativity in memos, notifications, etc. Why not add a cartoon to the bottom of updates?
  • • Stopping at cubicles to say hi and ask how an employee’s day/week is going.
  • • Seeking, listening to, and respecting your employees’ feedback concerning projects. (Employees who feel their voice is heard are 4.6 times more likely to feel empowered to perform their best work, and 40% of highly-engaged employees receive weekly feedback.)
  • • Listening. Listening. Listening. It’s an essential component of great communication.

Create Connections:

Develop a mentor program within the ranks and encourage fun work relationships among your employees. Take time to “play” a little each day. Sure, some companies have workout rooms, table tennis tournaments, and other large scale options, but that isn’t a prerequisite for fun. “Play” is an attitude or mindset.

  • • Share a company trivia site. Put the names of employees who participate in a once/week drawing for a token gift card to your local ice cream shop.
  • • Have a small stuffed company mascot. Hide it in a department. If they find it, it’s their job to hide it in another department. Whichever department ends up with it on Friday . . . well, make it a fun “penalty.”

There’s a multitude of simple, inexpensive ways to create fun on the job and encourage employee engagement.

Express Appreciation:

Recognizing your employees’ attitudes, contributions, innovativeness, and daily commitment, etc. is vital.  Express your appreciation in words – both written and verbal– as well as intangible thanks will give a boost to employee engagement and morale. Some ideas include:

  • • Verbal appreciation – in person or via a phone chat. Be genuine, personal, and specific.
  • • Written appreciation – send an email, text, or better yet a thank you card. Once again, be genuine, personal, and specific.
  • • Gift cards, an occasional early leave on Friday, free food – from a snack tray to a department lunch . . . There are many ways to express appreciation.

Recognize Employee Value:

Recognizing your employees’value -their talents and contributions is a key factor. (27% of employees who leave, do so because of lack of recognition) Substantiate your recognition with:

  • • Opportunities to learn new skills and move upward within the company. (42% of employees say learning and development is the most important benefit when deciding where to work)
  • • Increased responsibilities – without micro-managing. Letting them rise to the task expresses your confidence and trust in them and encourages innovation and creativity.
  • • Assign responsibilities that align with their interests and abilities.

Make Giving Back a Company Thing:

Your employees want to make a difference – especially within the community, but also globally.  Make giving back ad “team project.” Nothing boosts morale like knowing you have helped someone else.

  • • Get involved in a local work project: For example, plan a Saturday where your team participates in a habitat for humanity. One company built a pavilion along their local river greenway. The company supplied the lumber, and the employees supplied the labor.
  • • Sponsor a little league team or a dream team for handicap children and encourage employees to attend a game, treat the players, or sponsor an end-of-season picnic.
  • • Join in a global charity drive like the Marine’s Toys for Tots.
  • • Hold a company bake sale to raise funds for a charity – let your employees vote on which charity.

Employees who believe that management is concerned about them as a whole person and values who they are, as well as what skills and input they bring to the table are productive, find increased job satisfaction and are more loyal to their employer. In other words, they are engaged employees, and company morale is up, which all adds up to increased profitability.

At Award Staffing, we recognize the value of our staff and our temps. Because we do, you can count on the talent we place in your business. Our mantra is work hard, have fun, and be nice. It makes a difference you can’t get along without. Contact us today.

The Employer’s Guide to Staffing Seasonal Employees

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Many businesses rely on seasonal employees to survive busy times. Whether it’s hospitality workers during vacation months or package handlers during the holidays, there are plenty of companies needing seasonal employees all year long.

Here’s what you need to know about making your job easier when staffing seasonal employees.

Hire early

The sooner you start thinking about your seasonal needs, the more likely you are to be fully staffed when the busy season arrives. Starting early gives you the best chance at hiring qualified candidates eager to help you meet your temporary staffing goals. If you wait until the last minute, your vetting process will be rushed, and you may be stuck with less-than-stellar candidates. Having job ads ready to go for your most common positions will help you be prepared when the next busy season arrives.

Compensate seasonal employees fairly

You will need to comply with all standard employment laws when hiring seasonal employees. Additionally, you should ensure that compensation and treatment is in line with how you treat your other employees. If permanent employees know their schedules at least two weeks in advance, so should seasonal employees. If there is a discount at the office café, all employees should benefit. Seasonal employees will understand that they aren’t receiving health benefits or accruing paid time off, but they deserve to be treated equally where possible.

Manage seasonal employees as if they were permanent staff

Just because the employee will only work with you for a few months doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try to form a friendly relationship. Don’t dismiss complaints or fail to provide seasonal employees with all the resources they need to do their jobs well. If your seasonal employees won’t receive certain items or perks that permanent employees do – e.g. reserved lockers or key cards – explain why upfront. Do your best to create an environment where everyone feels committed to the team.

Set clear expectations

On the flip side, seasonal employees may think they can get away with more because they aren’t permanent staff. Seasonal employees should understand they will be held to the same standards as permanent staff. Let them know an approximate end date so that candidates with other commitments know whether they are eligible for work. If there’s a chance for some seasonal employees to be hired permanently, let them know the standards management will review to determine who remains after the season or who will be hired again next year.

Keep notes on the best seasonal employees

Seasonal employees are an excellent place to find your next great hire. Seasonal work serves as a tryout period where you can see who performs best and who fits into your workplace. If an employee doesn’t meet your expectations, he or she will be gone in a few short weeks. If you aren’t able to offer any seasonal employees a job once the term ends, make notes on who your favorites were. Give them a call first next time you have an opening and remember them for your staffing needs next season.

One of the easiest ways to handle your seasonal staffing needs is by working with an experienced staffing agency like Award Staffing. Let us know how we can help you meet your seasonal and permanent staffing needs.

Employee Value and Company Morale

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“Success in business is all about people, people, people. Whatever industry a company is in, its employees are its biggest competitive advantage.”   – Sir Richard Branson 

Winning with your customers/clients begins by winning with your employees. Your employees are your pipeline to customer engagement, positive reviews, and word of mouth advertising, and a prosperous bottom-line. The more your employees feel valued, the higher and more profound than your employee engagement is; the greater your employee engagement, the more positive and stronger your company morale will be. It’s a domino effect that begins with a company’s decision to recognize the value of their employees.

Employee value begins with taking the time to ensure that every employee understands:

  • • The company’s mission statement and purpose and their role and input in attaining that purpose. In fact, a 10-year study by Grow Author Jim Stengel reveals that companies with a high sense of purpose outperform others by as much as 400%.
  • • That their attitudes, efforts, and accomplishments are recognized and appreciated. Only 12.4% of workers who are recognized for their work have interviewed for a potential new job switch in the last three months, while more than 21% of workers who don’t feel recognized have been exploring new opportunities. (TINYpulse)

When employees are appreciated and valued as the asset they truly are, they are much more likely to be engaged employees. Engaged employees contribute to tangible returns for your business. The numbers speak for themselves. Valued, engaged employees:

  • • Take their tasks seriously and be self-accountable for their responsibilities –ensuring that they complete their part of a project well and on time, and going above and beyond their required tasks for the company’s benefit. (Studies reveal that companies with highly engaged employees improved operating income by 19.2% over 12 months)
  • • Stay with the company, reducing turnover. (Engaged organizations have reduced turnover by as much as 87%)
  • • Become a brand ambassador for their company. (78% of engaged employees would recommend their company’s products and services)

When employees are engaged, company morale – employee outlook, attitudes, satisfaction, and confidence – climbs. Employees are positive about their work environment and confident that they are in a place where their career can grow and dreams are attained.

Susan M. Heathfield points out that, “Feeling part of the goals that are bigger than themselves (and their job) contributes significantly to positive employee morale. Many employees want to feel as if they are part of something important and contributing to success for the greater good is a real morale booster.”

So, what gives employees a sense of personal value within the workplace? What builds company morale? While there are multiple angles, it boils down to 5 essential pillars.

  • • Purpose: As we already mentioned, it’s vital for your employees to connect with the company’s mission and purpose – to know that their tasks contribute to a big picture.
  • • Well-being: Creating an atmosphere that says your employees matter to you – that you care about the whole person – including their emotional, social, and mental health — a sense of camaraderie among their coworkers.
  • • Appreciation: Nothing contributes more to a sense of purpose and well-being than knowing that your contribution is recognized, respected and appreciated.
  • • Growth opportunities: Providing the encouragement and provision to learn and grow in their knowledge, abilities, experience, and career opportunities.
  • • Freedom: A chance to be innovative, creative, and even take a risk without fear of repercussion if an idea doesn’t pan out.

Focusing on these five pillars to bring value to your employees, engage them in your culture, and build overall company morale pays a significant ROI. Studies have shown that companies who place value on and invest time in their employees are:

  • • 53% more likely to have highly engaged employees
  • • 29% more likely to have employees innovating and performing great work
  • • 27% more likely to have increased in revenue last year

With numbers like those, who can afford not to place value where value is due?

At Award Staffing, we recognize the value of our staff and our temps. Because we do, you can count on the talent we place in your business. Our mantra is work hard, have fun, and be nice. It makes a difference you can’t get along without. Contact us today.

Why Your Company Must Attend Hiring Events

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Minnesota companies are currently struggling to find workers, especially for skilled laborer jobs. There are currently more jobs available in the state than there are people looking for work.

As an employer, there are a few tools that will help you find the best candidates before your competitor does. A great way to snatch prime candidates quickly is by attending a hiring event. If you’ve never attended a hiring event, here’s why you’re missing out.

Discover a qualified talent pool

The people who attend job fairs are actively seeking work. They attended the event because they are specifically looking to apply to companies like yours. If the hiring event is located in a particular area or has a theme, you narrow your candidate pool and find exactly the candidates you want to hire. Collecting applications from job fairs increase the number of qualified, interested candidates to choose from.

Have a pre-interview with potential employees

First impressions are huge in hiring – for better or for worse. While at a hiring event you may find candidates that you might not have hired on resume alone. You might also realize that someone’s resume and professionalism don’t match. You’ll save time by avoiding scheduling interviews with unqualified candidates. At a hiring event, you’ll meet your favorite candidates and focus your energy on shepherding them through the hiring process. Meeting candidates face-to-face gives you much more information than relying on resumes alone.

Save time and resources

You have many tasks when you post a job opening: write a description, pay to post it on a job site and field questions and resumes from applicants who aren’t qualified. At a hiring event, your advertisement is your table. Instead of collecting a pile of email inquiries, you can talk to interested candidates and answer questions right there. You only need to devote a few hours of staff time to meeting candidates at the event rather than posting online and hoping for the best.

Find diverse candidates

If you attend a job fair aimed at a particular demographic, like students or women, you can easily identify candidates who meet a particular hiring goal. Connecting with young workers early on builds loyalty to your company. If you have internships or apprentice programs you can find young workers eager to start their careers. Attending a hiring event for a particular group, like women in manufacturing, can help you diversify your candidate pool and workforce.

On-the-spot hiring

If you have entry-level positions that you’re eager to fill, hiring events are a great place to meet candidates. Candidates will bring their resume, fill out an application and have a brief interview. You can add several new team members in a few short hours. Both you and the candidate will be pleased with how smooth the process is.

Did you know that Award Staffing hosts hiring events throughout the Twin Cities? That’s more than 50 opportunities a year to connect with qualified candidates. Contact us today to learn more about how your company can join our next event.

8 Reasons Minnesota Veterans Are Great Hires

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One of the best things you can do to thank veterans for their service gives them jobs. Veterans are an excellent source of talent for many reasons. If employers and hiring managers didn’t serve in the military, they may not realize the many skills veterans learned during their service. Veterans are a valuable addition to your company’s workforce.

Veterans are excellent team players

During their military experience veterans learned how to be the ultimate team players. They are trained to think about how they can best help their unit. They are eager to contribute and eager to improve themselves for the benefit of the group. If your workplace also relies on strong teamwork, veterans are primed for helping their crew, department, and company succeed.

Veterans are analytical

Veterans have learned how to quickly assess a situation and develop a plan to accomplish a goal. They are quick to analyze what worked and what didn’t and apply it to future situations. This makes them great in work scenarios and at offering feedback to management.

Veterans are persistent

It’s a reality that in combat military personnel are stuck in situations for indefinite amounts of time. Through those experiences, veterans have learned the patience to wait out a situation and persistence in finding a solution. They must also be agile and adapt quickly to changing situations. They are willing to keep working until the team meets its ultimate goal.

Veterans perform under pressure

Military members have to perform in intense conditions with strict time constraints. They do this while following protocol, working with team members and remaining professional. Veterans are trained to complete a task regardless of circumstances.

Veterans are detail-oriented

Little details make a big difference in the field. Military members learn how to spot seemingly small details to recall later. Catching little differences or recalling who was where can boost productivity and keep your workplace safe.

Veterans appreciate diversity

Military personnel represent diverse backgrounds and experiences. They’ve learned to put aside differences with others to achieve shared goals. They are also well-traveled and are accustomed to overcoming cultural and language barriers. They are prepared to work with anyone who is willing to get the job done.

They make great leaders

Regardless of rank, veterans are trained to one day become strong leaders. They are frequently placed in positions where they need to make quick decisions in uncertain situations. This makes them ready to lead, but it also makes them respectful and willing to cooperate with leadership.

They respect workplace safety

Safety is a huge concern in the military. Military personnel follows strict safety protocols to keep themselves and their comrades safe. They are used to following rules and regulations in the workplace. They are also able to quickly spot and address any safety hazards.

Thank our veterans by making them a priority in your candidate search. Award Staffing can help. Contact us today to learn how you can hire a vet.

Ways to Improve Company Culture to Increase Employee Engagement

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A company’s culture directly correlates with its employee engagement, so when one is lacking, the other has hindered success. There are numerous solutions that, when implemented, cultivate a strong culture to ultimately improve overall employee engagement. It can be as simple as defining core values, providing proper training for leaders, and implementing tech-based tools. Below are a few tips to enact these factors into a company’s organizational strategy to maintain a strong and engaged workforce.

Define Your Company’s Culture and Values

Only 12% of executives believe their companies are driving and defining the ‘right culture.’ Employers need to start with their core values or, in other words, the building blocks that determine how a company operates to reach predetermined goals. Core values help construct a workforce that aligns with the overall mission and vision of an organization. Employees who connect with their work and find purpose in their daily tasks have a better chance of remaining focused and motivated toward company goals. This engagement ultimately results in higher productivity and retention. 71% of employees interviewed for a recent study stated that communicating clear expectations was the key to improving engagement. Employers need to document core values in writing, whether in a handbook or digitally, to ensure they’re digestible and easily accessible to employees at all levels as the company grows and evolves.

Implement Tech-based Solutions

Employee engagement needs constant attention, making the implementation of tool-based solutions useful when maintaining information regarding engagement-related practices. A performance management solution within a human capital management software is a lucrative tool that allows employees to track their goals and progress on an ongoing basis. Tech-based tools, like instant messaging applications or social channels for company announcements, should also be adopted within an organizational strategy to allow open communication throughout all levels of a company. Strong, efficient communication allows employees to interact with one another regularly and creates the opportunity to recognize achievements. Peer-to-peer recognition often leads to higher engagement, motivating employees to strive for continued success in their role. Implementing tools to support this creates an open, appreciative, and connected workforce, all factors that construct a strong company culture.

Offer Leadership Training

Harnessing a culture that enforces positive employee engagement lies partly within a company’s leadership structure. Leaders who encourage and model engagement set an example and demonstrate a clear understanding of company values. A recent study found that 86% of employees within organizations that promote a strong culture feel their senior leadership listens to employees, compared with 70% of employees at organizations lacking strong culture. Leaders need to keep their employees involved, with their feedback providing viable glimpses into daily operations. Conduct employee surveys to get their unfiltered feedback and translate it into action, focusing on the largest pitfalls as well as successes relating to leadership in the organization.

Employers should seek new-leader feedback on the training process, with employee engagement applying to leaders as well. If they feel overwhelmed, ill-equipped, or unmotivated in their new role, it could cause poor performance for an entire team or department. Proper training is lucrative to leaders being able to properly support culture and gear the company towards success.

Ensure long-term success

Set quarterly goals to maintain, improve, and benchmark progress in relation to culture. Benchmarking makes it easy to see pain points more efficiently and helps employers determine what needs improvement as the company evolves and changes. What new values need to be devised to match changing demands internally and externally? What is working within the company’s culture strategy that sustains positive employee engagement? What is hindering it from being sustainable? With these questions routinely answered, actions can be taken to ensure continuous improvement.

Make routine feedback a quarterly goal as well to ensure right-from-the-source information regarding engagement amongst employees. Culture needs to evolve to align with changing employee demands and goals. Ensure feedback initiatives cover all levels of the organization to get a full scope of how the company can grow forward in order to remain relevant, keep employees engaged, and stay connected with their workforce.

If your business is in need of help of improving your company culture with quality talent? Reach out to Award Staffing’s account management team today!

How Your Company Will Survive Minnesota’s Skilled Labor Shortage

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Minnesota companies have been struggling for the past decade to replace retiring skilled laborers. There is plenty of work available, but there aren’t enough people to complete jobs for clients. Despite federal and state efforts to place more people in skilled labor jobs, a disconnect remains.

People outside of these industries may think automation is the answer. The decline in skilled laborers means companies are turning to automation and technology solutions to bridge the gap, but they still require skilled workers to oversee production and design. Additionally, automation devalues the skills required to learn a craft and minimizes the pool of people who can pass down the art.

To stay competitive as Minnesota’s economy continues to grow (but its working population does not), your company will need to attract and recruit skilled workers and make an effort to grow the candidate pool.

Create a marketing campaign for your industry

Misconceptions about salary, job security, career advancement and safety may be deterring people from pursuing a career in your field. Launch a campaign locally to connect with schools, the chamber of commerce, job placement centers, libraries and more where you can share information about career opportunities in your field.

Invest in finding younger workers

While an older worker is valuable for his or her knowledge and experience, building a workforce of younger workers is an investment in your company’s future. Do outreach with local high schools so students are familiar with your company and what kinds of jobs they can find. Some Minnesota companies are finding success partnering with local high schools to design a curriculum teaching technical and vocational skills.

Create an apprenticeship program

Create your own pipeline of young, skilled employees by developing an apprenticeship program at your business. Apprentices will complete many hours of hands-on learning by working with an expert employee. When complete, you’ll have a prime candidate ready for hire who already knows the ins and outs of your company.

Break down stereotypes

To fill positions in skilled labor, you’ll likely need to hire people who aren’t your “typical” candidate. Currently, women account for less than 10 percent of construction workers. Additionally, most labor workforces are growing thanks to increased participation from communities of color. Some companies are also reevaluating their policies on hiring people with criminal convictions to recruit “second chance” candidates. Let people know how your company is addressing demographic disparities, e.g. by encouraging women to join apprenticeships. Companies need to think beyond where they traditionally recruited employees to find the next generation of skilled laborers.

Participate in a recruiting event

Face-to-face networking is an excellent way to meet new candidates and let them know why they want to work at your company. As part of an outreach plan, you can combat stereotypes about your industry by talking directly to candidates. By being selective with the events you attend, you can recruit among specific communities to increase diversity. Eager candidates who don’t have enough experience yet can learn all about your apprenticeship program.

Hire a staffing agency

Staffing firms are an excellent resource for sending you strong, qualified candidates for your job openings. Instead of throwing up a posting on several job sites, a staffing agency can help you build an intentional recruiting plan to meet your needs.

If you’re having trouble finding skilled applicants for your vacant positions in the Twin Cities, contact Award Staffing. We’ll connect you with the right candidates to meet your labor needs.