Creative Staffing Trends in 2024

Posted on January 10, 2024 | Roland Hearns |
Group of business people standing in hall, smiling and talking together

At Cisso Bean & Dutch, we’re always staying close to the various forces that shape the world of human resources and the business landscape. In the past, we’ve kept you up to date on shifts in technology, work settings, benefits, and culture. And this year is no different. Recognizing the understandable attention given to AI technology, our area to watch this year is one near and dear to any HR professional: staffing.

In 2024, no matter what your business goals and objectives are, having the right people in the right place at the right time is paramount. Wondering what you can do differently to resolve your staffing challenges? Check out the strategies below to stay ahead of the curve in 2024.

Trouble Finding Help? Get Creative!

If you are struggling with staffing, creativity is key. And these days, necessity is the mother of invention: one doesn’t have to look far to see help wanted signs or other evidence of labor shortages. On the consumer end, the need is most clearly felt when customer service comes up short or, in some cases, when certain products are entirely unavailable due to supply chain issues. And the unfortunate part, we’ve come to accept this as the norm.

Really Get to Know the Talent Pool

  • Employees are seeking more than a paycheck; they’re interested in learning about your brand reputation, mission, and values. More than ever, workers and consumers alike are expecting transparency from the companies they associate with, and they want to see the beliefs they subscribe to reflected at their place of work. In light of this, seek to demonstrate authenticity and clarity of intent in all your communications.
  • Employees are seeking flexibility in their schedules. This concerns the idea of what the work week looks like and what it entails overall. Many employees indicate that their workload and responsibilities are far greater than the work week allows. It’s particularly relevant when you’re dealing with concepts like overtime or weekend shifts just to get the basics done especially when there are staffing shortages.
  • Hybrid, remote, and adaptable work models continue to grow in popularity. Teams appreciate the work-life balance these options provide, and they can offer more diverse talent pools across wider areas in addition to cost savings. Keep in mind, not all staffing options will apply to every business but the old way of doing things may not be a competitive advantage in today’s labor market. Know the talent pool and what’s important to them. This is still a candidate driven market.

Strongly Consider Internal Candidates

One way to address staffing challenges is often overlooked and it’s right under your nose: investing in internal talent! Often times, companies start a search with the “perfect” external candidate in mind almost always overlooking the potential internal candidate. Even if the internal candidate is close to “perfect” for the role, it may be worth the investment to help the internal grow into the role with minimum disruption versus running the risk of losing them especially when the job opening may not surface again for a long period of time.

A well-crafted development plan, the support of a senior executive or manager, and consistent performance check ins may be all you need to ensure the internal candidate’s success! Moreover, others will see a “promote from within” culture in action thus supporting your retention efforts.

Other Creative Staffing Thoughts for 2024.

  • Consider job sharing. This strategy involves two or more employees sharing the duties of a full-time job. As an agreement between employer and employee, job sharing offers the flexibility that employees crave, boosting morale and productivity while helping with retention and recruitment.
  • On Call or Alternative Staffing can be effective. Whether you’re making use of independent contractors, on-call workers, temp agency employees, or contractors provided by firms, you should consider this option. Alternative staffing can reduce risk via flexible contracts and short-term wages, boost productivity through efficient allocation of talent, and cut costs, all while providing more of the flexibility we’ve been telling you so much about!
  • Don’t rule out hybrid or remote offerings. These options are starting to become expected by workers, and they can provide another strategy when one-size-fits-all staffing solutions fall short of your goals.

Mulling the pros and cons of staffing solutions? Our established expertise in recruiting means we’ve got all the knowledge, tools, and know-how to deliver the services and guidance you’re seeking. Contact us today and find out for yourself how we make HR solutions simple.