Find skilled and qualified employees still a challenge for employers, says expert
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
It’s been a wild 2020s so far.
The pandemic turned the economy on its ear with massive layoffs and furloughs in some sectors, 20% of healthcare employees quitting, soaring inflation and a shortage of entry-level workers.
Despite these challenges the Syracuse metro area economy is in a healthy position, according to Karen Knapik-Scalzo, associate economist with the New York State Department of Labor in Syracuse.
She has plenty of reasons to feel optimistic, such as an uptick in both residential and commercial renovation and construction and the forthcoming Micron project. All of these generate more employment.
However, finding staff to fill these growth-fueled positions may prove challenging for area employers.
“It is still a challenge to find skilled and qualified employees for a number of industries in Central New York,” said Suzanne Benderski, chief of staff for CTS in Liverpool. “This will be an area of continued focus with local leaders as the region prepares for significant growth over the next several years.”
One reason is that it’s tough to find people with the skills and education needed to fill certain skilled roles.
Elvis Mehmedovic, franchise owner of Express Employment in Syracuse, said that although many new jobs are becoming available in the area, they don’t match the workforce available. “There’s a certain lack of talent and that’s tough. It’s one of those catch-22s. We have a bunch of development and new jobs, but it doesn’t match the workforce available at this time. It’s a little difficult at this time.”
Even though CNY has plenty of schools among the SUNY system, community colleges and private school, it’s hard convincing graduates to stay here after they complete their studies.
According to livingcost.org, the average cost of living in Syracuse is $2,440, placing it in the top 9% of the most expensive cities in the world. The site salary.com ranks the cost of living in Syracuse as 3.2% higher than the national average with prices increasing 1.5% from a year ago. Syracuse’s largest expense increases were in the categories of transportation, food and housing.
Mehmedovic believes that the key to enticing more people to want to stay in CNY has to do with showcasing the quality of life the region offers.
“We have mountains and seasons,” he said. “There’s the Great Lakes, Finger Lakes, caverns and caves. We have any kind of geography you’d want. The only thing we don’t have is desert. I think the Central New York area is forgotten about. Outsiders think of New York City and Niagara Falls.”
Mehmedovic also thinks that people considering where to live should think about the more rural and outlying areas, such as Baldwinsville, DeWitt, Fulton, Phoenix and East Syracuse, all which have affordable housing and small town living.
“There’s plenty of cheap houses,” he said. “There are even cheap houses in downtown Syracuse. We have to get people who want grow families here for long-term growth. This is a good place to raise a family.”
School rankings represent one essential metric of family-friendly cities. According to US News rankings, high schools in CNY maintain high graduation rates, for example.
In addition to showcasing the area’s quality of life, company human resources professionals can also take their time in the recruiting and screening process.
Michelle Jevis, president of CR Fletcher Temps and Industrial in Syracuse, advocates for slowing down the hiring process to ensure the right fit.
“Take the time to interview thoroughly and offer candidates the opportunity to shadow to ensure they understand the role,” Jevis said. “Unemployment may still be low, but that’s not a reason to rush hiring. Instead, I recommend the opposite — take the time necessary to find the right person.”
This can help companies avoid wasting their time as well as that of applicants for positions to which they’re ill suited.
Checking all the boxes for the right skills, certification and education is only part of the hiring process.
“I also recommend thinking outside of the box when trying to find a cultural fit,” Jevis said. “Instead, try to find the cultural addition, i.e., find someone who brings new energy, ideas and perspective.”
