The employee shortage has been on my mind this week. It’s funny, when the pandemic first hit we worried about businesses shuttering because no one would have the money to buy.
Turns out, many people in the community were ready to help. We stood strong and supported our small, local businesses and others here in Alameda. We put our money where our heart was.
But now they’re facing a bigger issue that is harder to solve.
Some of our businesses have had to shorten hours or limit offerings because they don’t have enough help.
What can we do about that?
Here are a few ideas, but we’re looking for more:
- share posts on social media for businesses that are hiring. You never know who your post could reach.
- encourage eager people in your tribe to look for work if they’re interested. If you see a job that might be a good fit, suggest it to them. They may not be actively looking but it might be something they’re thinking about with the cost of goods escalating.
- post a job on the Chamber job board (it’s free!).
- show the love. If you really love a business, and you’re able, lend a hand. If you don’t, we may lose that business.
- pitch an idea. If you’re a freelancer, or someone who has started off on their own, pitch your services to a business. While they may have only hired employees in the past, they may be willing to turn to freelancers now.
- reenter the workforce on your terms. If you have a tricky schedule that kept you from working before, you may want to approach an employer now and see if they would be willing to give you a flexible schedule. These days having someone dependable for 4 hours a day is better than nothing.
No matter what, remember to be kind to those currently working. They are struggling to bring you the best service possible in these tough times.
If you’re an employer, what are you doing to recruit employees and how can we help?
