The task of filling job vacancies can feel like plugging a leaking boat. Recruitment has become a challenging and continuous process as a shortage of workers has created unprecedented competition for staff between businesses of all sizes.

Recently, the number of occupations experiencing a skills shortage in Australia nearly doubled in 12 months. It’s reached what experts are calling “staggering” levels. Some sectors could see thousands of staff shortages until 2050.

So how can businesses develop strategies to deal with a situation that has become a crisis for some? Read on for the staffing solutions your business needs to know about.

Assess Your Current Workforce Needs

It all starts with figuring out exactly the number and type of staff you need and can afford. If you feel you’re stabbing around for the magic figures then it’s time to sit down and take stock.

As a general rule of thumb, if you have a full-time office admin or shop assistant role to fill, you should budget for at least 30-35 per cent more. That gives you leeway to cover holidays, sickness and statutory benefits etc.

Make a list of the skillset needed for every job you have. This can help in formalising the recruitment process so that you attract and hire workers with the right competencies. Incorporate your skillset list into job descriptions.

Once you have a clear picture of the hours and tasks required to make your business run smoothly, you’ll feel far more in control. You’ll have clarity about where exactly the pinch points are. You can then go about trying to fix them more effectively.

Temporary Staffing Solutions Often Make the Most Sense

If you need ad-hoc cover for specific roles, there are clear benefits in partnering up with a staffing agency like Tough Yakka. These kinds of third parties allow you to access temporary workers as an integral part of your Brisbane staffing solutions. Other advantages include:

• No lead time in hiring due to any notice periods or checks
• Immediate access to a pool of “oven-ready” and motivated staff
• What you get is what you pay for so there are no staff perks to pay
• Takes the pressure of having to go through a lengthy recruitment process

Outsourcing the filling of gaps to a staffing agency lets you take control of your company’s specific needs. You’ll pay for exactly as much or as little as you need rather than potentially overstretching your business to cover what can feel like endless holidays and sick leave with regular staff.

Give a Boost to Staff Recruitment and Retention

When a potential worker is weighing up whether to take up a role or move on, they will have one thing in mind: “What’s in it for me?” That creates a new dimension to the techniques needed to recruit and retain. What matters most to employees are:

• Pay rates and benefits
• The chance of flexible working
• Working in a happy and relaxed environment where they feel supported
• Opportunities for career development and future challenges

Employers and their managers need to go the extra mile when there’s cut-throat competition for the best workers.

That may involve sweeteners to entice and retain staff. These can come in many forms but, if there’s a genuine level of flexibility shown, the better the chances of you getting your dream employee to work at and stay with your business.

Create a Positive Work Culture

The workplace should feel somewhere that’s safe for employees to speak their minds, make suggestions and be creative. Micromanagement, lack of appreciation and fear of speaking up never work.

Formal and informal performance management chats are essential. These allow moments for managers to express recognition and display trust by boosting the number of tasks delegated. If there’s ever tricky news to deliver, always start with a positive.

If the workplace has a happy vibe, it’s far easier to keep staff motivated when a business is in the throes of staff shortages.

Implement Cross-Training and Skill Development Programs

There’s a school of thought that embraces a scenario in which every employee has the competency to work in every role. It makes sense because it allows for greater flexibility and a mechanism to backfill based on the priorities of any given day.

When you invest in a worker by offering them training and development options, they feel valued and engaged in the direction of a company as a whole. At the same time, for managers, a versatile and adaptable staff member becomes invaluable when there are staff shortages or crises.

Promote Collaboration and Teamwork

If you think about the best places you’ve ever worked, the chances are the environment was one in which team members felt supported. Sectioning off certain tasks to particular staff members may work in highly skilled roles. However, it’s not a strategy that typically works across the board.

As part of your managerial plan, you should encourage workers to collaborate and openly share knowledge about given tasks. Reward those who are open to change and collaborate with others who may be performing entirely different roles in other areas.

Streamline Working Practices and Automate Tasks

Every role should have a handbook. It should act as a “how-to” guide and cover absolutely everything. It’s bad practice for a business to delegate a task in a way that only one person knows how to fulfil it. When and if they leave or go sick, there’s a problem.

Make use of technology and automation to boost productivity and streamline certain tasks, including training and development. Nominate digital champions within the workplace who can help you steer the business into more efficient automation uses.

All Your Brisbane Staffing Solutions Sorted

Staff shortages have almost become a fact of corporate life. A reputable staffing agency like Tough Yakka can help. Incorporate us as part of your plan and you’ll have staffing solutions that are robust and lasting.

Tough Yakka can supply both warehouse staff as well as office admin and retail workers. Get in touch with one of the team today. Let Tough Yakka fill the gaps you have with its pool of highly-motivated and skilled workers.