By Steve Edgcumbe

Today’s tight labor market presents a number of challenges for employers.

First, there is the problem of finding qualified job candidates. Second, there is the possibility of becoming engaged in a bidding war with other employers for qualified candidates once you have found them. And third, there is the ongoing battle of retaining good employees once you have hired them.

As of May 2019, the unemployment rate in Chester County was 2.9 percent. The labor force in Chester County stands at 284,100. Of that number, 275,800 were employed and 8,300 were unemployed, according to figures from the Center for Workforce Information and Analysis (CWIA) and prepared by the Central Pennsylvania Workforce Development Corporation (CPWDC).

Across Pennsylvania, the unemployment rate was 3.8 percent. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 3.6 percent, according to those same figures.

There were 23,500 online job postings in Chester County as of April 2019, according to CPWDC figures. So, there are plenty of jobs available for those seeking them. The challenge for employers, and for job seekers, becomes one of matching skills and qualifications with the available jobs.

“In a tight labor market, one thing employers can do to help themselves find qualified job candidates is enlist the help of a staffing partner,” said Maria O’Connell, owner of Express Employment Professionals in Malvern. “People seeking jobs can also use the help of a staffing partner to find the right job and the right company.”

O’Connell and her team partner with a variety of Chester County businesses and across many industries, providing a full range of staffing services. Her organization specializes in placing technical, skilled trade, and industrial candidates, as well as office administration and business services professionals.

“Candidates or job seekers exist,” O’Connell said. “The issue is finding the right clients or employers for those candidates/job seekers. In times like these, having a staffing partner like Express Employment Professionals can be helpful. Matching job candidates with client companies is what we do all day, every day.”

She highlighted that “the value of our process is in helping client companies come to a decision faster. You don’t want to have to stop running your business in order to build your team. A company’s most valued assets are their people. Organizations that have the right team at the right time are unstoppable.”

Express Employment Professionals recommends a few strategies for employers and prospective employees for dealing with a tight labor market:

• During the interviewing/hiring process, employers should be clear as to what they are looking for in a job candidate/prospective employee. This goes beyond the job description or list of responsibilities. Employers should indicate the qualities needed for someone to be successful in the job. Prospective employees, in turn, should be clear with what they are looking for in their job search and what they hope to accomplish with a company.
• Employers should be having ongoing conversations with their current core team of employees. Building strong employer/employee relationships is important. Employers want happy, fulfilled employees who plan to stay with the company. It is more efficient to retain your current core team than it is to hire and re-train a new team.
• Employers should be building a positive company culture. They should want employees to like their jobs and the company. If asked, employees should recommend the company to other job seekers. Employers should be encouraging job/career growth by offering employee workshops, job training, or education opportunities. They should also be encouraging or organizing company team-building activities outside of the workplace, such as company picnics, community service activities, etc.

Click here to learn more about Express Employment Professionals.

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