8 Staffing Challenges During the COVID-19 Crisis
Susan Ranford is an expert on career coaching. business advice. and workplace rights. She has written for New York Jobs. IAmWire. and ZipJob. In her blogging and writing. she seeks to shed light on issues related to employment. business. and finance to help others understand different industries and find the right job fit for them – Strategics360.com/
No job, business, or company could have seen a pandemic hitting the shore in 2020. COVID-19 has already changed much of ordinary life, and its effect on the economy and the working industry is blatantly apparent. With struggles to get enough workers on the job, while also being unable to keep all of your employees, many staffing challenges are facing the world today. Below are eight obstacles in staffing during the COVID-19 crisis.
Short Staffing While Experiencing High Demands
It is no secret that health care workers and people working in essential jobs are experiencing high numbers of people coming through every day. Essential workers are putting their health at risk for their job, all while tending to and catering hundreds of people per week. While it may seem smart to put every worker on the schedule to make things move faster and smoother, it can be seen as incredibly dangerous to put that many people in one tiny spot. Also, more and more people are losing their jobs, so most essential places are short-staffed, trying to cater to abnormally higher numbers and groups of people.
Recruitment and Hiring Techniques Have to Change
So long are the days where in-person interviews could take place because we have entered a time where that is not possible. With the economy at such a low point, it may not be feasible to hire any new workers. However, companies are still unable to hire spring/summer 2020 interns, hurting the usual numbers of workers and tasks given to each employee. Interviews can still be done via conference call; however, basic training will be a lot harder to lead. With all of these new and upcoming problems with hiring new staff, we have entered a world where it is no longer a piece of cake.
Vulnerable Workers Need Different Treatment
As essential workers are exposed to large numbers of people every day, some workers may not be able to attend their essential job based on their health. While reports on unsafe working conditions should take action, eliminating staff due to health conditions can put a dent in who you staff each day.
Employee Overtime
Minimizing employee overtime is so essential right now. People most likely would rather be safe and at home with their family in these times, and making them work long hours is a way to lose employees. For the people who are working from home, they may be putting in more hours than usual due to having more work or having more time to work on things that need to get done. If you are allowing employees to work overtime from home with pay, you are going to lose even more money. If you have the ability, you should definitely attempt to minimize employees working abnormally long hours, because you will be able to save money on your spending on overtime.
Photo Credit: Les Finances
COVID-19 has already changed much of ordinary life, and its effect on the economy and the working industry is blatantly apparent.
SUSAN RANFORD
Fluctuating Loads of Work
As unemployment rates drop more and more, work for other people and employees are growing exponentially. Someone who may have had to handle four tasks is now unhappy because they have been given an extra four tasks because someone else is not doing their job anymore. No one seems to like uncertainty, so having workloads fluctuate every week is not going to satisfy any of your staff.
Lack of Talent in the Field
If you are trying to hire anyone to take on a little bit of work, it may be hard if there is little to no one out there who has the talent or qualifications you are looking for. If you are trying to get more people in the medical field to help overwhelmed hospitals, that can be incredibly hard if no one has gone through enough schooling to take on that job. Other jobs can be hard to hire for if you were already experiencing a lack of qualified people because now there is no one out there who is willingly going to put themselves through the schooling or training needed to be qualified in this economy.
Slower Hiring Processes
For the rare people that are qualified enough and are suitable for their job, if you take too long to get back to them, they may not be there for you to hire anymore. While everyone in the work force’s loads of work may be growing, hiring candidates that you already had your eye on needs to be a priority. Prioritize this because if you miss out on them, you will not be hiring anyone else until this virus is tamed and life can finally go back to normal.
Unrealistic Working Expectations for Staff
Similar to the overload of work problems, having unrealistic expectations can hurt your staff. Working from home is distracting enough in itself, let alone the people who have young children that are in school and need to be tended to and taught or have a sick family member, so keep personal problems in mind when thinking about staff. While things should be done timely, make sure extra time is given to prevent overwhelmed staff.
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