Small Towns and The Labor Crunch
For businesses in smaller cities and towns, the shortage of qualified workers is more acute than for businesses in metro areas.
But a rural location doesn't have to be a detriment to finding more staff if you're a great company, says Rikka Brandon, CEO of BuildingGurus.com and founder of RecruitRetainRock.com.
She advises business owners in rural areas to lean on their strengths and leverage their place in the community. "Showcase your opportunities to build awareness and start building your talent funnel," she writes in a post for LBM Journal.
More than half of small businesses in the U.S. plan to add staff in the next 12 months, but many also acknowledge the difficulty of finding qualified candidates.
The Hiring Landscape
The Wall Street Journal/Vistage Small Business CEO Confidence Index for March reports that 54 percent of businesses surveyed said they plan to hire employees in the next year. That's slightly higher than the 51 percent who said that in the February survey.
"Small employers have incrementally upped hiring plans since the start of the year because of steady demand," notes the index.
A survey by the National Federation of Small Business survey reports a similar trend of hiring plans for the next 12 months. However, 37 percent (seasonally adjusted) of all owners told NFIB's monthly poll that they had job openings they could not fill.
Broadening Your Search
There are several ways that rural small businesses can broaden their search and find more qualified workers.
Seek out local and national groups that have programs aimed at helping businesses discover more talent, such as the American Works Initiative, created by the U.S. Chamber and the U.S. Chamber Foundation.
Also, small businesses in rural areas can improve their candidate recruitment by better targeting candidates and tailoring messages, advises the executive search firm Battalia Winston.
"For instance, how about advertising at a local fishing competition or placing an ad on a hiking website or in church bulletins?" suggests an article by CEO Dale Winston and President Terence Gallagher in Chief Executive magazine.
Other ideas for finding potential qualified candidates include posting your openings on college and university job boards. These job boards could get the attention of "boomerangs," or candidates who attended college or grew up in your town and may want to move back," they write.
Boast About Your Town
Just like you would talk up your company to a potential candidate, be sure to share great things about your small town.
It may be outdoor activities, abundant green space, or fun community events. In job postings and interviews, inform applicants about all of your town's benefits.
"Does your town have a scenic bicycle path, free Friday night movies at the beach, or the best hot wings in the county? Also, often, a good sports venue or museum is within a short drive. Take a look around and you'll find plenty of benefits to emphasize," says Winston and Gallagher in the Chief Executive article.
Broaden Your Search to Include Different Populations
When recruiting for new hires, it can be helpful to seek out candidates in populations sometimes overlooked by businesses seeking new staff.
Examples include veterans, younger, under-experienced potential candidates, and older workers, who could be drawn to training and education courses to expand their skills if your business offers these benefits.
According to the Center for American Progress's website, older Americans make up or will make up a large percentage of the American workforce.
"Over the next decade, 42% of the growth of the labor force will come from individuals ages 55 and older, with most of this growth coming from women in this age group," the group’s website says. "Yet, older women often find their path to mobility hindered by a lack of access to training, upskilling, or re-skilling."