Impacts from the staffing shortage do exist. A new survey from Provident Bank released Thursday found that nearly 75% of American businesses have been affected.
In the bank’s 2022 National Labor/Staffing Shortage Survey, companies nationwide say they have been struggling to attract and retain talent — both small businesses and larger organizations.
Insights from 1,000 hiring managers and department heads, small business owners, recruitment and talent acquisition specialists, and compensation and/or business managers were included in the results.
Turning down business and cutting back operating hours were cited among the most common ways the labor shortage has affected businesses. Professionals also noted that inability to fill crucial roles and high employee turnover rates added additional stressors to their business operations.
The most common reasons employees gave for leaving their jobs included low salary, inability to work from home and uncompetitive benefits. Additionally, child care issues and burnout were common themes.
More than 33% of respondents said their company had revised perks and/or benefits to retain employees and/or attract talent. The most common additions included tuition assistance, enhanced paid time off and child care reimbursement, while the most popular added benefits were additional paid sick and holiday leave, 401(k) matching and sign-on bonuses.
“Organizations that are placing the employee experience at the center of their business strategy are benefiting from improved retention rates and the ability to attract talent during the current job market,” Anthony Labozzetta, CEO and president, Provident Bank said.
Among those surveyed, 69% of businesses have had candidates decline opportunities because of better offers. 79% of that group have attempted to combat this issue and remain competitive by raising salary offerings by up to 20%.
Additional survey findings:
- 40% of survey respondents were small business owners, and, of that group, 60% said their company has been impacted by staffing shortages.
- 85% of individuals employed by a business with over 101 employees reported impacts due to the labor shortages.
The most common employee perks implemented to attract and retain employees included: wellness stipends, casual dress code and extended maternity/paternity leave.
The importance of hybrid and work-from-home options were a common theme among responses — 57% reported their company has instated a work-from-home and/or hybrid option to attract and/or retain talent.
