In a recent WO Pop-up Poll, respondents said that finding staff was a challenge. This time, we asked respondents to share their recruiting resources and benefits to hire or retain current staff.
EMPLOYEE INCENTIVE IDEAS
Fully 81 percent of respondents said that they increased pay and benefits packages since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. It’s a huge difference compared to the 13 percent of respondents who said they didn’t make or see salary changes and the six percent of respondents who said they had to scale back staff funding.
Higher salaries are also an important recruiting tool, with 80 percent saying that they had to boost pay or benefits to recruit staff. Another popular method was adding flexible time, such as a designated or extended lunch break or shift changes. Retirement plan funding and greater insurance benefits for health, dental and vision were also additional incentives offered to staff.
Many businesses are struggling to onboard new employees, and it’s also impacting the optometry side. One female OD shared, “It is rare for a candidate to even show up for an interview! We hired two candidates, but they never showed up for their scheduled shift and completely ghosted us. I just don’t know where people are!”
WHERE’S THE CROWD
In the middle of a packed job market, respondents shared that they navigate toward online hiring websites such as Indeed and Craigslist or use their connections to directly approach candidates. One-fourth of respondents shared that they also use their practice’s social media platforms to post-hiring announcements and processes.
For a time-saving and efficient interview process, one respondent said the practice is to have some staff representatives conduct the first round of interviews. “If they don’t feel like they can work with the candidate, then we don’t move on to the next round,” she said.
The majority of respondents were female ODs.
