Struggling to find staff? Asuria has some ‘tricks of the trade’

Employment support specialist Asuria has released a list of dos and don’ts when it comes to matching job seekers with suitable roles, even with ongoing labour shortages in many sectors and industries, including early childhood education and care (ECEC). 

 

Executive Director of Employer Services Darren Otten considers the following  information vital for all Australian businesses struggling to find and retain staff:

 

1. Look beyond CVs

 

While resumes can still be a useful source of information, Mr Otten says restricting your pool of applicants by only thinking about their employment history can be “a very one-dimensional representation” of what they can offer. 

 

2. Empower people with disabilities

 

In Mr Otten’s opinion, people living with a disability are “the single most extensive untapped resource” in Australia’s labour market. 

 

Compared to just one in five people without disability, almost half of the working-age people with disability are unemployed, meaning there is a large pool of determined job seekers with disability out there eager to get back into work.

 

3. Direct experience rarely makes the difference

 

“If you’re holding out for someone with direct experience in your industry, not only could you be waiting a long time in the current labour market conditions, but you could be focussing on the wrong thing entirely,” he continued. 

 

In a recent survey of small business owners, Asuria found that direct industry experience was the least important factor in the recruitment process, with “motivation and passion” and “adaptability” being the two most valued qualities.

 

4. Adopt a strengths-based approach

 

When this approach is taken employers focus on what people are good at rather than what they’ve done. That means taking the opportunity in the recruitment and interview process to learn about competencies rather than achievements. 

 

For example, there aren’t many jobs in which things like time management, teamwork, or problem-solving won’t play a big part, so Otten recommends inviting candidates to demonstrate those skills rather than “brag about their accomplishments”.

 

5. Embrace the bigger picture

 

Gaps in CVs or short-tenure roles needn’t be seen as red flags, he continued. 

 

“We all live complex lives, and time away from employment could be explained in all sorts of ways. Take time to get a complete picture of the person applying for the role and take an empathetic approach to understanding all the factors that might have seen them move in and out of the workforce.”

 

6. Forget the one size fits all employee model

 

Mr Otten said that when it comes to employees, what matters is whether they can get the job done, not when or how they do it. 

 

“The world is changing fast, and the Monday-Friday, 9-5 is already beginning to be replaced with a greater ability for employers to embrace flexible working without compromising on productivity,” he said. 

 

“Why try to hold back the tide of flexible working when you can ride the wave instead?

 

7. Recruitment doesn’t end when a candidate starts a job

 

Here, Otten says, the mistake too many employers make when it comes to finding and keeping the right candidates is assuming that day one on the job equals the end of the recruitment process, when in fact, it’s just the beginning. 

 

“Instead of relying on stock-standard induction manuals, take the time to invest in new candidates’ integration into the company team, culture, and processes, laying out training schedules and creating opportunities for engagement, encouragement, and reward, wherever practical and possible.”

 

9. Take the search to social

 

As well as leveraging the power of jobs boards, Mr Otten said social media can be a great place to post job vacancies and appeal to the right people. 

 

“By narrowing in on specific conversations, interest groups, and even locations, it’s possible to not only market your business more appealingly, but to identify cohorts of potential employees with the attitudes, interests, and skills best suited to the roles you’re looking to fill,” he advised.

 

Finally, Mr Otten encouraged ECEC employers and other businesses to benefit from the free, expert employment service providers in the broader market. 

 

“The Federal Government invests in programs and providers whose purpose is to help match job seekers with employers,” he said. 

 

“These services are no-cost and can cut down on a huge amount of time and effort for recruiters, while applying an expert lens when it comes to job-matching. If you’re not using these services already, then Asuria is ready and willing to help.”

 

“In this challenging labour market, attracting and engaging motivated jobseekers is proving to be more complex than the traditional methods used by employers, recruiters, and managers in the past,” he continued. 

 

Delivering employment services for job seekers, employers and governments domestically and internationally for over 25 years, Asuria is a high-performing provider of Disability Employment Services, Workforce Australia Services, Self-Employment Assistance, ParentsNext, Transition to Work and more. For more information visit www.asuria.com.au