Staffing a problem for 85% of firms

Waitaki employers are struggling to find suitable staff and the situation seems set to worsen.

A recent survey of businesses, carried out by Business South, found that among 62 respondents there were 265 job vacancies, and it was anticipated a further 239 would open up in the next 12 months, chief executive Mike Collins said.

Of the businesses which completed the survey, 85% were struggling to find workers.

"Getting the right people for the job was the biggest barrier to recruiting staff, an issue identified by 83% of those who experienced difficulties.

"Housing availability, border restrictions and immigration/visa issues were also cited as common issues of concern, with each of these barriers affecting 15% of respondents respectively," Mr Collins said.

Waitaki District Council business attraction and recovery manager Melanie Jones said the issue was a national one, although the region had its own specific challenges.

"There are also increasing resignations as staff find higher-paid work elsewhere," Mrs Jones said.

"Waitaki has a relatively small pool of skilled workers and the inability to attract skilled employees is a key constraint here."

The proportion of people in the district with no qualification was almost a third, compared with a quarter nationally, she said.

Survey responses came in from across all sectors, 31% from agriculture, 13% from accommodation, 13% from food and beverage, 10% from manufacturing and 8% from retail and trade.

Another 14% were from other areas, including meat processing and tourism.

Mr Collins said the biggest ramification for businesses struggling with recruitment was the increased workloads for current employees, which was was a challenge for 68% of respondents.

More than a third of business owners had improved pay or conditions to attract workers, while more than 20% had had to turn down work or use contractors or consultants to manage workloads, the results showed.

"Worryingly, business confidence about getting the right staff was low — just 38% believed they would be able to employ the staff they needed," Mr Collins said.

Mrs Jones said a regional skills leadership group was working on the issue, and a recent workshop had been well attended by businesses, which had shared ideas for solutions.

Businesses had said there was merit in a "more joined-up approach to communicating employment opportunities".

Lack of staffing was an issue which needed to be addressed nationally, but with regional and local implementation, Mrs Jones said.

"In Waitaki, we need to attract and retain local talent, and ensure our Maori and Pasifika youth have development opportunities."

Attracting more young people was important, and there were "high-value jobs" across the sectors.

"Improving careers advice and financial literacy in schools was one opportunity identified, along with others."

Mr Collins said Business South would work closely with the business community to provide support and advocacy on recruitment concerns.

It would lobby central and local government to address immigration and visa issues, and discuss ways to attract more workers to the area.

It also wanted to support other groups working on similar issues, such as Workbridge and the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs, to help develop further initiatives.

The taskforce had helped 67 young people find work and learn new skills, Mrs Jones said.

For employers struggling to fill positions, she urged them to "look after and develop" the staff they had.

She suggested a flexible approach when trying to fill jobs, such as considering part-time workers — who might include older residents with skills and experience who might have retired or recently moved to the district.

"Over 40% of Waitaki’s population is over 50."

ashley.smyth@odt.co.nz