Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Dylana Kneeshaw

LABOUR SHORTAGE

“Work with employees and their lives”: Kamloops businesses urged to get flexible to retain staff

Nov 17, 2021 | 3:57 PM

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.

“And there has proven to be a need for employers to work with employees and their lives. Let them work around things,” explains Anderson. “And this strict adherence to the 9-to-5 schedule or whatever the schedule happens to be is not going to help you to retain employees.”

Week in Review

Week in Review: Week of Sept. 23

15m ago

Two and Out

PETERS: Studies in accountability - or a lack thereof

Sep 27, 2024

Looped In

LOOPED IN WITH NIKKI OMEN: September 26, 2024

Sep 26, 2024

NRI Distribution in Kamloops is one example of that practice. The Dallas area operation has offered flexible shift hours for a number of years. NRI’s vice president of people experience, Dean Stainton, says they’ve prioritized working with people.

“In the community it’s been very well received, very well embraced. But I’m not aware of a lot of other organizations that are currently doing it.”

The company employs more than 200 people in the local area and recently expanded on job options with an auxiliary ‘on call’ shift and a shift that lines up with the transit schedule.

“We are a little bit further out of town so the bus schedule isn’t as simple as being downtown or a little closer proximity,” Stainton notes. “It’s something that we’re very cognizant of and sensitive to in terms of people’s ability to get here, and again make a contribution and be able to get home at a reasonable time as well.”

NRI’s other shifts — parent hours from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and evening work times for university students — have seen good uptake. Over the years, Stainton says they’ve even resulted in employees sticking around longer term.

“We have supervisors that now exist within NRI that started part time while on the supply chain side from TRU, as well as some leads and we have a number of people that are currently working that shift as well.”

According to Anderson, Venture Kamloops is currently studying the recruitment side of the labour shortage and what tools could boost employment.

“Recruitment tools that have to do with immigration, utilizing federal programs, provincial programs, all the different avenues where people who are looking for work may not be in your community at the moment but can be employed using fast-tracked systems that are in place,” Anderson says. “We’ll have all of this information available publicly very, very shortly.”

For now, business owners are encouraged to stay flexible.

“Retention of your current employees — that’s the key.”