Hiring (2)
Finding People to Hire Remains Big Challenge for Small Business
Todd Shimkus, President of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce
“There are many obstacles to the recovery of New York’s economy post COVID 19,” said Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner. “What issues are impacting your businesses the most,” she asked the members of the Saratoga County Chamber’s Small Business Owners Council.
The Assemblywoman was recently appointed to an Assembly Workgroup on Transitioning the New York Economy after COVID. Each member of the workgroup was urged to talk with local small businesses and to report on their findings. The small business members on this call were unanimous.
“I cannot find enough people to hire,” said one business owner. “I have jobs that I haven’t been able to fill all year,” another said. “We know there are people who are unemployed but we just can’t seem to find them,” added one more.
According to the New York State Department of Labor, Saratoga County is one of just three counties with an unemployment rate below five percent. As of December 31, 2020, there were 5,300 Saratoga County residents who qualified as unemployed. Even in the worst days of the pandemic, Saratoga County had local firms that were hiring. The Chamber and our community partners identified those firms at the time. We shared this information via social media in an effort to connect job seekers with local employers who had jobs available.
The small business owners on this call with Assemblywoman Woerner came from a range of sectors of our local economy: health and wellness, construction, marketing, retail, restaurant, and hospitality. Three days later, the Chamber’s Human Resources Council met to talk about Veteran hiring practices. This group of local firms in the manufacturing, distribution, banking and technology sectors also shared with us how challenging it is to find people to fill local job openings.
One of the tools the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce has is our popular online Saratoga County Job Zone. With the COVID 19 pandemic still challenging local employers, the Chamber is allowing every employer in Saratoga County to post their job openings on this site for free. The Chamber is constantly monitoring these job postings. We’re using social media to expand the reach of some of these job listings in an effort to help local firms with this challenge.
Visit www.saratoga.org and click Job Zone to learn more.
Written by Todd Shimkus, President of the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce.
Saratoga Springs - The hiring market has changed in recent months. It is hard to predict where we’re going, but the job seeker has a vast array of choices from the hundreds of job boards, to drive through job fairs, to recruiters calling them off of applications they’ve submitted. Applying for work can always feel uncomfortable, but the point is that employers are hiring, and searching for great candidates. It is your job, as the job seeker, to be as prepared as possible. You’ll stand apart from everyone else and create the best opportunities for you and your new employer.
First impressions matter to employers. They want to make sure that the job seeker’s impression of a company’s offerings are relevant and professional. Employers do their best to present as much detail as possible – building lists of jobs available, preparing skills checklists and competency requirements pertaining to those roles, so they are clear about what skills, history and experience they’re searching for.
Employers look for similar preparation from candidates. They are always searching for the cream of the crop – those that have great resumes, perhaps a general cover letter giving an overview of skills and experience, and a polished appearance when meeting them. Polished appearance doesn’t mean suit and tie mind you, it means eye contact, neat presentation of self and resume, and measured confidence in their approach. Regardless of the level of the position, knowing your work history shows a level of attention to detail. Here are some tips to help you prepare before applying for a new role:
- Know your dates of employment. Take time to look up old pay stubs, or call your former employers to gather this information. You don’t need the exact date, but it’s common for employers to ask the month and year of your start and end dates for each position.
- Research the jobs you are applying for. If you’re not sure which are the most appropriate, start with the top two or three that most closely mirror your experience. Print them out, or save them. Read and review them prior to visiting with those employers. If you want to demonstrate your ability to succeed in a role, nothing jumps out more than having a keen and fresh knowledge of what you’re applying for. Not knowing does the opposite - you’ll know this has happened if the interview is over in 5 minutes.
- Bring paper. Bring multiple copies of your most recent resume, blank paper for notes, and a sheet with a few questions on it. If you’re not taking the time to update your resume, what does that say about the effort you’ll put into the job?
- Know your skills and strengths. At first sight, an employer will not know what you’re good at, nor what you’ve done well in your past. At the application stage, asking an employer what they have for you demonstrates a lack of research on your part.
You may not think that these little things are a big deal. Add them up and they make up a significant impact on your first impression to a potential employer. If you’re looking to make a solid, lasting impression (enough so that they want to call you when they get back to the office), be prepared with the little details. You’ll find more success stories with this approach, than if you act as if the job fair or application process is all about you. The reality of the application/interview process is that it’s a mission of discovery for both of you. Do your best to demonstrate you’re the candidate they want – the one that’s mindful of the organization, its goals, and its company culture.
Written by Tom Schin of www.buildbetterculture.com
You can reach Tom direct at 518.441.9479 or Tom@buildbetterculture.com