Employers

 Hiring the Right Person

In this time of skilled labour shortages in all trades, it has become clear that one of the best methods of ensuring a business has a sufficient number of competent workers is to support apprenticeship training. This means hiring the right person to sponsor for an apprenticeship.

Analyzing the business and identifying the type of candidate best suited to it

Each business has its own characteristics that help determine the kind of individual who an owner/manager requires. The size of business, the nature of the work it performs, its client base, and even future plans for the business, are all factors that affect the hiring process. For example, a shop that specializes in one or two types of automotive service will hire an apprentice with the knowledge that the apprentice may leave for another shop when he or she has experienced all they can at that particular workplace. Or, a large, full-service operation will want to hire someone who is interested in a long-term commitment. Whatever the size of the business and the services it offers, it is essential that the employer take all factors into consideration when hiring a potential apprentice. It could be that an employer hires someone who is already a registered apprentice who is changing employers to gain the experience a previous employer may have been unable to provide. Their level of competency may be perfectly suited to the existing needs of the business.

Qualities, character traits and other skills

Once an employer has decided upon the type of candidate who would best fit in with the scope of the business, he or she must decide what other qualities they desire in an employee. It is a given, of course, that employers want individuals working for them who are honest, reliable and willing to learn and adapt to the business' particular environment. However, there may be certain other essential traits, such as flexibility (particularly important in a smaller shop), agreeability in responding to customers, or the ability to effectively prioritize tasks. It may also be that the ability to speak a foreign language is required due to the customer base of that shop or business.

Once an employer has a clear picture of who would be the right person to hire, he or she must then consider ways to attract that particular individual and ways to retain them in a stiff competitive market.

Attracting and retaining good employees

In today's marketplace where employers are urgently seeking suitable workers, and jobs are more plentiful than potential employees, resulting in strong competition for good employees, it is vital that the employer provide incentives for someone to work at that particular business. It is, of course, equally important to be able to retain employees, and, indeed, the very factors that attract good candidates may well be the factors that enable an employer to keep them.

Naturally, one of the most significant incentives is the willingness to sponsor an apprentice. That in itself is not enough - employers must be ready to actively support the training required for that employee to succeed in attaining their journeyperson status. This means ensuring that the apprentice is provided with opportunities to learn a variety of skills under the tutelage of qualified individuals. It means being willing to allow the apprentice to take the time off to attend the in-class portion of the apprenticeship training. It means taking the time to meet with the apprentice on a regular basis to determine where they are in their training plan. And finally, it means ensuring a safe, positive, respectful environment in which an apprentice can learn and apply skills with the support of the employer.

There are other ways employers can present themselves as a desirable place to work, such as: financially supporting up-grade training for employees, providing an employment benefit package, offering competitive wages, conducting regular performance appraisals that provide for employee input and employer response and demonstrating a commitment to employee on-the-job safety, to name just a few.

While the employment climate shifts from time to time, the need for an employer to attract and retain skilled employees remains unchanged. In fact, with the current shortage of competent workers, it is essential that employers take a hard look at their current and future needs, as well as at what they can offer a potential employee.

Hiring the right person can be tricky business, but with a desirable workplace, a clear vision of the ideal candidate and a willingness to support training, employers can find the individual they require.