“Work with employees and their lives”: Kamloops businesses urged to get flexible to retain staff
KAMLOOPS — Ongoing labour shortages have made recruitment and retention hot topics in the local business community. Venture Kamloops (VK) says higher wages are regularly touted as a solution, but that’s not affordable for many small operations that have been on the verge of closing.
“The idea of just raising wages just doesn’t fit in the normal small business model in a town of this size,” notes VK Executive Director Jim Anderson, who says the recruitment side of the labour shortage has proven to be especially problematic.
Anderson says skilled positions are being filled but it’s taking longer than normal and it’s also been harder to fill entry-level positions that typically see more turnover. With that in mind, VK says retention of current employees becomes paramount.