The physical, economic and emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has taken its toll on staff and businesses alike. Amid worker quarantines, resignations and vaccine refusals in mandated workplaces, it’s no surprise that many organisations are currently finding staffing is their biggest challenge, heading into 2022.
1. Getting more out of your remaining providers and staff
In some larger companies, staff shortages are running in the hundreds. That means longer hours for remaining workers - and the overtime pay that generally comes with it. In order to recognise and reward their extra effort, some businesses are offering tired workers “commitment bonuses” to keep existing employees from leaving.
2. Adjust operating hours when possible
Though not an ideal solution, reducing hours is a useful tactic to help address reduced staffing numbers. But cutting back hours across the board isn’t the only solution. Try rotating days off to accommodate staffing needs, staggering start times or instituting flexible scheduling.
3. Reduce services
When necessary, it might be advantageous to limit or temporarily suspend some of the offerings you usually provide. For example, you might limit certain types of appointments or services to specific days or locations to consolidate access.
4. Cross-train, redesign jobs and reorganise departments
Centralise workflows wherever possible to pool resources. While some view cross-training of staff to cover shortages as “robbing Peter to pay Paul,” there are opportunities to expand the capabilities of your personnel, including
- promoting those who have shown leadership potential
- Adjusting job descriptions to accommodate less-experienced staff
- Overstaffing in areas where you have ample candidates and cross-training them into high-need areas
- Resetting organisational culture (i.e. eliminating any “That’s not my job” attitude).
5. Outsource and automate
Implement automated systems by using online tools for anything you can, such as appointment making (which takes care of reminders and rescheduling), billing and payments or other self-service technologies. You can even make use of virtual assistants or freelancers as a stop-gap to tide you over until your core staff return.
6. Embrace online meetings and working from home
For a great number of office workers, working from home allows them to keep going even while they are isolating, while tools such as Google, Zoom and Slack help you stay connected as though you are all still in the office.
7. Broaden your recruitment and hiring
Rather than focussing on a limited pool of in-demand candidates, broaden your scope to include candidates you may not have considered before, such as more mature and experienced workers, people with a disability or those in another location. Creating more part-time or job sharing positions can also help parents return to the workforce while still balancing their parental responsibilities.
If you are struggling to find staff, get in touch with us today! We have a huge pool of job-ready, eager and experienced candidates who are champing at the bit to get started. Call us on 136 123 to discuss your staffing needs.
This article has been adapted from a piece which originally appeared on www.mgma.com.