IC System drive-up event while staff was working remotely , themed “ Working Apart , But Together .”
Advancements in the industry or changes in the organization or culture requiring different skill sets must be taught . Constantly changing technology or lack of technology in the workplace can create a void . “ If you ’ re getting new technology or creating new products , developing different programs , then you need to make sure your employees are prepared . One of the reasons people leave a company is because of limited opportunity for development or advancement ,” said O ’ Donovan , who has more than 30 years of experience in the area of recruiting and human resources in a variety of industries including healthcare , retail , nonprofit , and corporate positions .
Joe Erickson , Director of Human Resources for IC System , Inc ., in Vadnais Heights , commented that a skills gap is not a problem his company has experienced . “ The jobs that we are looking to fill are highly trainable if you invest properly in a program focused on the skills that you want to develop , which we have . The biggest challenge we have faced is replacing workers who decide to move on after a short period of time ,” said Erickson .
IC System , Inc ., is a debt collecting company , which by its nature has a lot of turnover and attrition . “ We are growing , so we are always in a position where we are hiring ,” said Erickson , who added that finding workers isn ’ t the only challenge his company is facing . Since the pandemic started , the cost per hire has gone up significantly as well .
“ I believe it is because there are so many open jobs out that we need to spend significantly more in our effort to find qualified candidates ,” said Erickson . “ We use hiring platforms , and our average spend per month in finding candidates has nearly doubled .”
The additional funds are going towards bringing in additional staff to schedule interviews and make offers to potential candidates . IC System , Inc ., hires 20 to 25 people per month .
“ Now that people are starting to get back to working if they have been off , they ’ re really thinking hard and long about what they want to do that makes them happy ,” said Erickson .
“ There has been a paradigm shift in employee ’ s view of work and loyalty , which some feel has not been reciprocated . For years , people have been at the mercy of the employer , during good times and bad , with the employer deciding who stays , who grows , and who goes , especially during downturns . Now it is the employees saying , ‘ Hey , maybe it ’ s time for me to leave and look for something that ’ s a little more flexible and rewarding ,’” said O ’ Donovan , who added that not very many companies are doing a good job of laying out for their employees what the future may hold for them .
“ If they did it could help with retention ,” she added .
Workforce challenges have affected some companies more than others . At Ehlers , a public finance firm located in Roseville , Human Resources Manager Joy Vander Heiden said finding qualified candidates to fill finance openings hasn ’ t been difficult .
“ When we post open positions , we attract a strong number of candidates from all over the world ,” she said . That being said , Vander Heiden commented that one of the biggest challenges Ehlers faces when recruiting is the fundamental shift in the way people choose to work in today ’ s environment . “ When I reach out to qualified candidates and tell them we work on a hybrid schedule – three days in the office , two days remote – many will say ‘ No , I have no intention to move to
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