HELP WANTED: Anyone Out There?
Recruiting Tips to Survive in Today’s Tight Labor Market

The Central Florida economy continues to gain strength in employment factors. January’s unemployment rate of 3.0% is one of our Region’s lowest in years; Central Florida has gained 41,200 jobs in the last 12 months; and WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA’s (WCF) State of the Workforce Study last Fall showed more than half of the 500 local employers surveyed were planning for expansion during the next year to three years.

In a market like this, Central Florida employers are finding it more and more difficult to fill their job opportunities with qualified, skilled candidates. Employers are going to have to become very resourceful, rely on multiple recruitment strategies, and look at non-traditional workers to fill their openings. WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) offers some tips to guide employers along the way:

1. Employee Referrals. One of the best sources of candidates is often referrals from current employees. Consider offering financial incentives to employees for each referral hired, and reward them again once the new employee has been retained for 90 days or six months.
2. Recruit from WCF’s ONE-STOP CAREER CENTERS. Listing your job opening in our on-line job bank allows thousands of potential job seekers to respond to your ad. You have already paid for this service with your tax dollars, so there is no charge. The centers also offer other options, like training grants and In-House Recruitments, or mini-job fairs held in the centers each day.
3. Consider Non-traditional Workers. Offering the right benefits, flexible hours, or position might attract older workers from retirement, students or workers with disabilities. Here are a few of the organizations you might contact to reach out to these candidates:
   • Goodwill Industries 407/235-1500
   • AARP/Senior Employment Prog. 407/420-6936
   • Experience Works 866/967-9631
   • Lake County Tech Career Center 352/589-2250
   • Lake-Sumter Community College 352/323-3603
   • Orange County Tech Schools 407/246-7060 x4808
   • Osceola County Council on Aging 407/846-0413
   • Rollins College Career Ctr 407/646-2195
   • SCC Career Resource 407/328-2033
   • Seniors First 407/292-0177
   • TECO (Osceola Tech) 407/344-5080
   • UCF Career Services 407/823-2361
   • VCC Placement Office 407/299-5000 X1035
4. Be Competitive. Research how your compensation package compares to companies competing for the same workers. Are you paying enough to attract the right applicants? Take a look at your benefit package and personnel policies. Consider strategies such as unique benefits, offering benefits to part-time workers, onsite childcare, job sharing, flextime, and telecommuting.
5. List your Pay Range. In your advertisements, list pay ranges … honestly. Ads that don’t include wage information gather little if any attention from serious job seekers. And, in today’s market, expect qualified job seekers to request the top of the range. Listing what you can offer may make the difference in whether or not a candidate takes your listing seriously.
6. Exercise Great HR Practices. Don’t give up checking references and drug testing, just to hire someone quickly. Good candidates, people with the skills you need, are getting offers, yes that’s plural. But you don’t want to miss something important by making a hasty offer.
7. Reach Out to Community Organizations. Many of these organizations have employment or news bulletin boards that are accessed by the community. Here are a few of the organizations you might consider sending your employment notices to:
   • Christian Help CFEC 407/834-4223
   • Metropolitan Urban League 407/841-7654
   • Center for Independent Living 407/623-1070
   • ESTEEM, Inc 407/645-1193
   • Lutheran Social Services 407/869-1909
   • Osceola Association ARC 407/847-6016
   • The Jobs Partnership of FL 407/235-1522
8. Try Headhunters, Employment Agencies, or Temporary Agencies. Listing your positions with these organizations often comes with a fee, but in return they may offer recruitment in specialized fields, or out of the State.