A recent Industry Canada survey, compiled with the assistance of industry experts predicts a severe staffing shortage in the under-35 category by 2006 for jobs that can’t be replaced by technology. Unfortunately, we can’t just set up interactive kiosks for our Customers to deal with when they come in looking for the solution to a plumbing problem or at-home project. This causes everyone grief, and when a large box store chain aspires to open dozens of stores per year, how do you fill that ever-important need for “fresh faced excellent staff to provide excellent Customer service?
Jackie Plant from Lockheed Martin agrees, even though she’s not a Retailer. “If you look at the stats & reports into retirement age, retirees wealth, how often Canadians move & the declining birth rate (as examples), I think that a labour shortage in the years to come will be more widespread than retail (but agree they may be harder hit – especially if you look at how technology savvy kids are today). It’s certainly something that’s on our business radar today, as we plan for the future.”
Peter De Jager, a technology management guru and a former retailer himself disagrees as to the shortage. “I honestly don’t believe there is a shortage of workers, there is however a huge shortage of employers willing to hire those just out of school/college/university. And, when they do hire, they treat the new hires in a manner that makes it incredibly difficult for the hires to make even a subsistence living. For instance, Retailers that will hire a new worker… minimum wage of course… but who won’t guarantee the worker more than 20 hours a week. Nor is there a fixed work schedule that would allow the individual to find a second job without having to purchase a computer to handle the scheduling problems. Training new help is the cost of doing business. Hire for attitude and all the rest will unfold, as it should.”
David Wilson, a public service HR practitioner questions the study. “So will there really be a shortage? Yes, but it may be restricted to certain fields and jobs. My real worry is not the shortage of workers, but the shortage of well paying jobs for the next generation(s). At minimum wages, you cannot afford to buy a house.”
This topic hit a sore spot with Bill Round, proprietor of Rounds Hardware in Boston. “The economy in the Boston has brought us a median home price of US$ 350,000 or so. The average apartment cost in Massachusetts is US$ 1,391; the average mortgage payment is US$ 2,084. Young people are just priced out of the market.”
“The young people I can afford to hire will be living at home with mom and dad, OR in an apartment with 3 or 4 other non-related people, OR driving in from 50 miles away. All of these are high-stress living situations. This will be reflected in the attitudes young people bring to the store.”
“I like to think that I’m in the business of selling nuts and bolts to middle class people. You should have middle class people on the service side of the counter to do this, at least I think that this is a good model. I don’t think this will work out in the coming years.”
“I think we all want to “empower” the staff members of tomorrow to do their job as they see fit as fully vested participants in the business. Instead, I see many retail stores staffed by people who need to be told what to do next, and then what needs to be done next after that, and so on. The person who can see what needs to be done next will be management material. This person will be the exception, and possibly the rare exception at that. This is a very pessimistic view, but I see a passivity among young people that will be difficult to overcome unless the training and structure is very clear and very defined.”
“To find good employees we will have to sift through lots of poor ones. Good ones must be identified as quickly as possible and then retained and trained, possibly at great expense. The business operating system will need specific hooks for this very function: Toss the trash as soon as possible and ID the good ones even faster.”
Round adds; “If the cost of housing is so high… why not become more attractive by offering it? Corporations are doing it with housing allowances. I wonder if we will come to that?”
Vicky, you talked about maybe having a box with three key items to consider:
1. Human Resources business practices (likely automated) including scheduling, job descriptions, training modules, evaluations, standards, work rules, employee handbooks, merchandising and operating standards. The business will have to provide the structure many people will not have in their lives in the years to come.
2. Clearly defined benefits in areas the box stores might not offer. These benefits could include “biddable” time with significant shift differentials, or a full forty hour week for those making a living for themselves and their family at this job. Weekends and nights will not be times many people will want to work. Younger people will value this.
3. Respect. The same old adage applies; treat people as you’d want to be treated yourself. Acknowledge successes, and bring constructive areas of development to their attention, with a game plan as to how to correct it…and follow up.
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