Staffing continues to be a challenge for pet retailers and service providers, one you tell us about often. With that in mind, we dug deep this year to look at the causes and to give those with best practices in this area the opportunity to share.
What’s your favorite interview question for teasing out whether a candidate may be a good fit for your business?
So many of these responses made us stop and think about the answers we’d offer during an interview. Here are just a few of the atypical questions and prompts you shared.
What do you think is the main reason many businesses are struggling to hire and/ or retain staff in 2023?
| It’s the labor pool — There aren’t enough workers. |
| 10% |
| It’s the people — Their expectations (for workload, pay, etc.) are too high. |
| 53% |
It’s the industry — Not enough people want to work in pet retail or services.
|
| 5% |
It’s the hours — People don’t want to work weekends or evenings.
|
| 10% |
Other (please specify)
|
| 22% |
A significant number of the respondents who answered “Other” specified “All of the above” or a combination of the answers. Many pointed out the inability to pay a “living wage” because of a variety of reasons. Said one, expanding on this particular challenge, “So many Millennials and younger generations were pushed into college, that many of the motivated and good working members are now looking for higher-paying jobs to cover student loan payments, or are just working in jobs that require the qualifications they earned in college. And I say this as a Millennial myself! Most of the people I would love to have working for me are all in higher-paying, more technical jobs than what we can offer.”
How would you rate the overall quality of your applicants in 2023 compared to the five years before the pandemic?
Results exclude the 23% of pet pros who don’t have staff or who opened during or after the pandemic.
How difficult do you find hiring in 2023?
If you have trouble hiring and/or retaining staff, how are you making your business more attractive as an employer? Check all that apply:
| Increasing pay |
| 75% |
| Introducing or increasing bonuses |
| 21% |
Offering career development opportunities (education, mentorships, etc.)
|
| 29% |
Offering flexible schedules
|
| 64% |
Increasing benefits
|
| 29% |
Other
|
| 17% |
Many of the “Other” answers to this question focused on creating an attractive company culture.
How do you find your best employees?
| Through an employment website |
| 17% |
| By posting on our social media |
| 14% |
Recruiting from another pet business
|
| 2% |
Recruiting from a non-pet business
|
| 2% |
Staff or industry referral
|
| 18% |
By hiring a favorite customer
|
| 15% |
Sign in the front window
|
| 5% |
Ad in the newspaper
|
| 1% |
N/A
|
| 14% |
Other
|
| 12% |
So many of you “Other” respondents said your best employees come calling. “I put it out into the universe, and more often than not a good person comes in asking if we are hiring! I have a thing about hiring based on first conversations and gut feeling, and I’m usually right!”
Do you do any of these? Check all that apply:
| Working interview — I like to test drive new hires. |
| 38% |
| Hiring bonus — I will make a down payment in a competitive job market. |
| 2% |
Probationary period — I always lease before I buy.
|
| 50% |
N/A
|
| 33% |
If you have trouble hiring and/or retaining staff, how are you changing operationally? Check all that apply:
| Doing more tasks myself |
| 65% |
| Putting more work on existing employees |
| 31% |
Improving practices to need fewer employees
|
| 45% |
Outsourcing more tasks
|
| 11% |
Scaling back growth plans
|
| 21% |
I’m not — I just keep replacing them.
|
| 17% |
Other, please specify
|
| 14% |
“Other” answers here also focused on company culture. One said, “We want our team to know we care. We did a breakroom makeover to show they’re worth a clean and comfortable space. We do not tolerate bigotry from shoppers. And we address any issue a team member wants to resolve.”