Anyone else having serious hiring issues?

Yes, this is a huge issue in the construction industry.  We are having difficulty hiring and keeping those we do hire. It’s the worst I have seen it in 30 years. 

Been real tough for the last 4 years.... we have increased starting wages and have been more liberal with pay raise increases - but that has only seemed to encourage people to want to work fewer hours... Money no longer seems to be a driving incentive for people under the age of 38-40. We also attempted to offer more flexible schedules - which is creating a nightmare for the one making the schedules. It seems that no one wants a full time job anymore. I wish I knew how they were supporting themselves.... lol  Everyone seems to be very focused on just living in the very moment without concern for a tomorrow. Very Strange. I recall people struggling with this about 6-7 years ago and guess we were lucky for a couple of years before it started to affect us. Good Luck All !!!!

We have been lucky retaining our few employees that we have, but it doesn’t come without worry.  I’ve tried to secure their employment by offering little perks like offering lunch here and there, fun company meetings...trying to help them enjoy this job, because it is very hard work!  

Jeff

Susan, I am sorry I can't help you. I do typesetting, graphic design work from my home as needed.  I wish I had more work!  Sounds like you are paying well, and flexible hours are awesome. I think the problem is the younger generation has had it so easy they don't know what real work is. We were taught to clean house as 8 and 9 year olds. Today they spend all their time on the devices and are not "required" to help out.  You might try a "bonus" program. Offer them an increase at 6 months if they stay around that long... or something similar  (movie tickets, a dinner out?).

I feel you. We use all volunteers so I could not speak to this but I do know that creating community is key, clear expectations and kudos regularly given. Besides that, I just think all of us struggle with life and it’s difficult to stay consistent at our responsibilities. Get rid of those who feel entitled and Do everything you can to keep humble ones 

Make sure every piece of gear they use for cleaning is the best you can find, repaired and always working at it's optimum. Pay them a bit more than they expect (as you are already doing)  and make them know they are important to you and the success of your business. Reward them appropriately. Share gratuities with them that come from your customers and make sure they are aware how delighted your customers are with the job they did for you. 

Treat them with dignity and respect. Listen to their questions and opinions. Train them properly to complete a job fast and easily. Don't forget to convey your expectations.  Anything short of that is unacceptable. Compliment them on a job well done and praise them for anything they did that was above and beyond the call of duty.  Average jobs are just that. Not bad, but definitely not good or great - they are just average.  When they do better than expected, make sure they know you are proud of their work.

As they help you create raving fans (yes, I mean that even in janitorial services) those customers are going to be your new free advertising base that will develop more customers.

It is your serve. The ball is in your court. Make it count or you will fail again.

The super low unemployment rate for menial labor is part of the problem.  Lot's of ultra-low-paying jobs are available, so most of the menial labor market has two or three low-paying jobs + Uber/Postmates driving just to survive. There is always someone willing to pay $0.50 more per hour or who is closer to home - so less commute.  This might be the case for many of your cleaners.  

How to retain them? Well, make time-and-a-half overtime opportunities the norm so that they work harder but avg out closer to double their current income.  Offer gift cards to Target and Walmart if the company gets a good review that mentions a cleaner by name.  Offer them all an oil change once a year or fill their tanks once a month (if they have cars). Do you have >10 employees? See if you can onboard a PEO solution that saves you money on workers comp or EPLI to make some of these perks possible. Hope that helps.

The unemployment rate is at a record low, so you are not alone in having difficulty finding quality staff!! I would suggest Stivers or Talentlaunch. Their portfolio has companies that work in all different industries across the country!

One of my clients is a group of cleaning services companies and also mentioned hiring issues. 

Given the circumstances of the world due to the pandemic, hiring can be difficult. Especially when it comes to trustworthy contractors and freelancers.

From my experience, despite plenty of marketplaces to look for talent, it's gotten harder to find trustworthy expertise and quality help for short term jobs. There's still too much overhead and inconsistency to rely on third party marketplaces.

In my opinion, the best place to hire contractors and freelancers are through using the network you already have. Recently, my solution to hiring is through AskFora, where you describe what you need, and AskFora then helps find qualified people from your network. With AskFora, a client can find a contractor, get their job done, and pay them, all in the same day. I highly recommend it. If you have a chance to check it out, I'd be curious to get your thoughts on how it works for you.