While supply chain issues loom large over the upcoming holiday season, companies are more concerned about staffing, according to a Sept. 7 report from Multimedia Plus.
Of the 149 senior executives surveyed, half said staffing and wage issues were their “greatest concern,” outnumbering those who reported that supply chain concerns topped their list (28%). Meanwhile, 65% of the executives said recruiting is the biggest challenge for staffing up the holiday season, while onboarding and scheduling are “taking a back burner,” according to the report.
"After two years of adjusting to a new normal, retailers and hospitality executives are scaling for pent up demand,” David Harouche, CEO and CTO of Multimedia Plus, said in a statement. “Getting enough trained staff in place is a major focus and is more important than other issues that we have seen in the past."
However, training remains a priority, even amid concerns about recruitment, according to the report. That aligns with recent research from Willis Towers Watson, which revealed that more than half of employers surveyed are increasing training opportunities to attract and retain talent.
HR has struggled with a contentious labor market for years, but the pandemic highlighted the “dual challenge” many employers face — that is, the combination of older workers retiring and younger workers’ willingness to change jobs, especially post-pandemic. Yet some classic talent acquisition strategies still work, experts have told HR Dive, including signing bonuses, student loan repayment, referral rewards, mental health benefits and better healthcare benefits overall.
Wages, too, are still a huge driver of recruitment, especially in industries like retail, which has seen large wage gains in recent reports.
