Page 15 - BusinessWest July 25, 2022

delaying their hiring a little bit; instead of hiring 50 people, they’re hiring 40 people, that kind of thing.”
For those are hiring — and that’s most companies — it’s not business as usual, or what managers were used to before the pan- demic and that aforementioned Great Recession.
Indeed, bonuses and higher wages are now the norm for busi- nesses looking to attract — and retain — help. Companies are offering sign-on bonuses, some as hefty as $2,000, when applying and staying at a business for six months or more. That means that companies are having to rework their pay scales from the inside to retain workers.
As retention rates continue to fall, David Cruise says, employers are spending more money on the hiring process, from recruiting to onboarding.
Beyond higher wages and bonuses, companies are offering other incentives, including flexible hours and, when possible, remote work.
Wise told BusinessWest that one of EANE’s manufacturing mem- bers in the central part of the state uses flex time on its shop floor, meaning employees can have a more fluid work schedule to match their personal schedule.
But perhaps what job applicants are seeking most is culture, Cruise noted.
“Over time, the money is certainly an incentive, but it won’t be able to retain people over time without some adjustment with cul- ture and schedules,” he explained, adding that, perhaps above all else, job seekers want to know they’re valued and heard by their employer.
“Demand and supply still do not align where we would like them to, and more importantly, they’re not aligned where most industries and employers thought they would be at this point post-pandemic, whatever post-pandemic actually means.”
“Most progressive, good companies where people want to work and build a career are working really hard to not only outreach employees and market their business, but make the case to work- ers that their place of business is a good place to work, not only
for the financial and benefit packages, but from the perspective of having a work culture and schedules that work with the employees’ life cycle,” he went on. “Companies are trying to look at schedules that allow flexibility with an understanding that business still has to operate and has to have accommodations to make sure the work gets done.”
Gadaire agreed. He told BusinessWest about an employee who continues to work for the MassHire center because of the care she
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