3 Recruitment Strategies to Limit the Impact of Supply Chain Issues

3 Recruitment Strategies to Limit the Impact of Supply Chain Issues

When it comes to forecasting staffing needs, the only thing that’s for sure is that nothing is for sure. And in what’s been an eventful and unpredictable couple of years in the job market, trends and data aren’t as reliable as they once were.

What variables prove helpful in building a proactive hiring strategy? For starters, look at current consumer behavior. People’s buying habits have changed, so scaling how you hire up or down based on your customers’ “new normal” makes sense.

Next, look at your operations. Is your entire team back in an office, totally remote, or hybrid? Depending on your new operating reality, you may need to scale your on-site and centralized support teams. And don’t forget about compliance issues that might limit how many team members you can have in-house.

Then there’s the supply chain. We think so much about its impact on customers that we don’t consider how it affects employees. Inventory shortages could mean a need for fewer workers and less stability when trying to make proactive hiring decisions.

That’s not to say recruitment strategies can’t be more predictive. When attempting to staff proactively, you need to keep people, strategy, and process top of mind. Here’s how to work the supply chain into that fold:

1. Look at your after-hour needs. When forecasting staffing needs, so much of the focus is on the 9-to-5. If you’re experiencing inventory lows or highs, use those numbers to dictate how and when to staff your workforce.

Creating more flexible shifts, such as voluntary or part-time evening and overnight schedules, will increase your ability to attract workers needed to manage healthy inventory levels. Getting creative with your staffing model will make it easier for you to scale with current needs.

2. Embrace on-demand and temporary labor. Are your supply chain volumes looking like they’ll be a little sparse in upcoming months? If possible, focus your recruiting efforts on on-demand candidates.

When filling open slots, seek candidates who express interest in working certain hours. They may not be able to do the traditional morning or evening shifts, but they can come in and offer support during peak production hours.

If the supply chain suddenly shifts in your favor, partnering with a staffing agency to quickly onboard a team of temporary associates can help you tackle an inventory surplus head-on. Mix these employees in with those working more standard hours so you can maximize your inventory when shortages loom — or boom.

3. Engage old favorites. Knowing that your supply chain might experience some bumps could be a great reason to reach out to former associates. If available, they’ll be able to hit the ground running when it comes to processing inbound and outbound inventory.

To reconnect with them, develop incentives that go beyond salary. Agree on additional compensation or benefits that give them more ownership over the role and offer the same option to existing staff members.

By emphasizing supply chain needs, you better position new and old favorites to keep production consistent when hiring might be in flux.

Global hiring trends are never easy to predict — neither are supply chain issues. If you can align one with the other, your chances of seeing each to its fullest potential rise.

Integrity Staffing Solutions is a full-service staffing agency and ranks in the top 2% of agencies across the country for quality service based on ClearlyRated’s “Best of Staffing” client survey. To learn more about Integrity or for help with your hiring needs, visit integritystaffing.com or call 833-446-1300.