There is fierce competition for talent in the operations and maintenance (O&M) industry. The industry’s growing number of retirement-eligible skilled workers is outpacing the entrance of young laborers into the trades, creating a labor constraint for those of us in the O&M business. Sitting back and waiting for the situation to improve is not an answer – following are some innovative ways to find the talent needed to keep our workplaces operational and well-maintained.
The Stats Don’t Lie – Skilled Labor Shortage is Real
More than 40% of today’s skilled trade positions are held by people aged 45 and up, according to staffing firm Adecco, and more people aged 25 – 44 work outside the skilled trades than within. As skilled tradespeople near retirement age, there just aren’t enough people lined up to take their places. Adecco estimates that 31 million skilled trade positions will be vacant by 2020.
“As our labor pool tightens, the demand for skilled trades continues to increase. Repair and maintenance professionals are experiencing 1.3% unemployment, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with 3.8% for the US overall.”
At UG2, we don’t need the stats to confirm the shortage of talent; we feel it every day. As one of the fastest-growing O&M companies with more than 3,500 employees throughout the US, talent fuels our growth. Our team provides the support that our clients rely on, day in and day out. Here’s how some ideas on how to tackle this issue.
Recruit Early and Often
Labor shortfalls mean we need to look beyond traditional recruiting strategies. Yes, we still participate in job fairs and use on-line postings, but we start developing our pipeline for talent early in the cycle. We partner with high schools in the communities where we live and work to extend apprenticeship opportunities to individuals interested in Facilities Management. Students work with us for a summer in preparation for a full-time job offer following graduation. These programs outline a clear career path for students with a stable employment future.
We also have created internship programs with Mass Maritime Academy and Lemoyne College – many students from these programs have a job with us lined up well before they graduate.
Encourage Ongoing Education
It’s hard to imagine a company in the O&M space surviving today without a strong internal training program. There just aren’t enough trained candidates available, so it’s imperative to groom your own talent.
At UG2, we offer a comprehensive training program that covers everything from customer service to safety and technical training. We also opened our own training facility where we can transfer knowledge from more experienced workers to those new to the trades, enable entry-level employees to advance in their careers by teaching them new skills, and keep pace with expanded scope of technology that we use in delivering service.
Curriculum at the UG2 Training & Innovation Lab includes courses on:
- Pumps, Seals & Alignment
- Building Automation Systems & Tools
- HVAC & Multi-Stack Systems
- 5-Star Customer Service Excellence
The Training & Innovation Lab offers the training our employees need to advance in their careers at UG2 and become eligible for new opportunities throughout the company.
We also encourage employees to pursue training on their own, and offer to reimburse the tuition for programs that help them reach career goals and further their professional development.
Expand Your Search
In high-tech growth areas, companies compete for talent by offering ever-increasing wages to lure employees. This is an unsustainable practice.
Instead, we have expanded our search. We now recruit in areas within a 90-minute drive radius from client sites to reach employees who welcome stable jobs with benefits, training, and opportunities for advancement. In some circumstances, we even offer innovative transportation solutions for employees.
Expanding our outreach has enabled us to exceed our recruitment goals and build a qualified talent pool for future open positions in a way that is more sustainable than simply increasing wages. Most importantly, our approach enables us to recruit and retain the best talent to serve our clients.
Focus on Retention
Finding new talent is just one aspect of building a workforce; retaining employees is equally as important. Employee retention requires a multifaceted approach that has the employee in mind. In addition to fair wages and competitive benefits, facility management companies need to offer opportunities for continuing education, career advancement, and skills growth.
Engage a Partner
Not every company is equipped with the resources to create and operate a well-rounded skilled labor recruitment, retention, and training program. That’s why we encourage many companies to consider choosing an external service provider.
Companies can focus on running their business rather than building staff and outsource the responsibility of recruitment and training, offering clients access to highly qualified staff without any of the work involved in building the team.
Employees at dedicated O&M companies are more loyal and dedicated, in part because they have a defined career path. With an extensive network of sites across the United States, UG2 can offer our employees opportunities to transition between locations, training to advance skills, and ongoing promotions and advancements.
Other benefits of working with an O&M expert include cost savings on everything from overtime to equipment, continuous improvement programs that provide superior service delivery, and reducing risk around OSHA and other regulatory compliance.
Go All In
If your company is facing workforce shortages in the skilled trades, be prepared to go all in to tackle it. Find candidates before they graduate from school, offer extensive training programs to groom your people from within, be creative in broadening your geography, and be prepared to offer a clear and compelling career path.
Take every avenue you can, and be on the lookout for new opportunities. If you decide you’d like to partner instead, just reach out. We’d be happy to welcome you to our family.