Finding Solutions in Today’s Crazy Hiring Market: Companies lack employees and people lack jobs

Hiring and the job market has been in upheaval since the pandemic. Consider the following statistics:

• Over the past year, approximately 4 million people left their jobs each month. 
• Since the pandemic began, 1.5 million women with children have left the workforce.
• There has been a significant drop in workers over 65; many Baby Boomers accepted buy-out offers or chose to retired on their own. 
• COVID has affected the health and stamina of many workers.
• Some states are seeing historically low unemployment rates.

The combination of these factors regarding hiring have made life extremely difficult for employers. Some employers post jobs and don’t even receive a single applicant, while other employers can’t find anyone with the right qualifications.  We are seeing a mismatch in what employers need and what people are looking for in terms of work. 

Although many jobs are available, a lot of the unfilled positions are part-time or entry level, low-paying, and with no or few benefits.  That is not the case at S&B Finishing Co.  We currently have an opening for an office assistant. We have excellent benefits, including health, vision, and dental insurance; retirement plans; and room for growth. 

Doing what it takes with a $5,000.00 hiring bonus for current office assistant opening

We are so eager to find the right individual that we are offering a $5,000 signing bonus. This is a first for us, because historically our positions get filled quickly and largely by word of mouth.  But today’s job market is not “business as usual,” so we’re doing something extra to attract a qualified individual.

Promoting conditions that foster a healthy and pleasant work environment 

The pandemic shifted workforce values, placing a greater focus on family.  Employees are looking for stability and connectedness.   Employees have more control over the terms of their employment and working conditions, and have used this power to leverage themselves into better jobs that offer them a better work-life balance, and better mental health. 

S&B’s search for an office assistant takes into consideration all these issues.  We have a liberal personal time-off policy because we understand and value our employees’ personal lives and obligations.  The “work from home policy” does not work for our industry, but giving flexibility to our employees does work, to everyone’s benefit. 

What are now referred to as soft skills, like the ability to communicate well, to be considerate, to behave with kindness, to deliver excellent customer service – these are the touchstones of S&B’s culture since we opened our doors 45 years ago.  The qualities of service and community are held in high esteem at S&B, and they are visible in practice to anyone who visits our facility.

S&B contributes its company’s success over the past four decades to its employees. Our very low turnover has fostered a true family atmosphere, which in turn has made workers want to stay for many years.

Employers win by hiring new employees and turning to the future 

After a recession, it’s common for employers to raise the bar in terms of what’s required of employees. For example, requiring a college degree for a job that doesn’t really require a degree so long as the candidate is skilled.  The tendency to undervalue the knowledge and skills that come with tenure feeds into today’s opportunity gap, and it’s something you will never find at S&B. 

Use this link to see How Powder Coating can Support Economic Recovery.

Valuing what each employee brings to our company is the only sustainable way to do business.

Our workforce currently consists of 51 employees. We often celebrate — rightfully so — our long-term employees.  We have 34 people who have worked at S&B for over 10 years, 21 people over 20 years, and 13 people over 30 years. That may sound like a lot of experience.  It is! 

But we also want to stress the value that our newer employees bring in.  We have 14 employees who have been with us less than 5 years. Their vitality and their techno-savvy nature is helping our company adapt to the shifting landscape of our industry and world.  These future leaders are the perfect complement to the rest of the team, and their visionary leadership will help S&B stay successful for many years to come.