How to attract and retain talent in Miami?
Experts in the labor market shared their knowledge on this matter with entrepreneurs of the city of Doral in a face-to-face workshop
By: Diana Bello Aristizábal
There are currently more job openings than there are people available for work. So how can companies fill open positions and retain their employees when the rules have changed so much? This question was answered by four panelists at the ‘Hiring Solutions in the 305’ workshop that was held in the City of Doral.
In it, far from seeing the new work scenario as a riddle, the panelists shared with the attendees all the resources, trends, and opportunities that are available in the county to attract and retain talent and that are in line with the way businesses are being conducted today.
During the workshop, they spoke first of all about the different non-profit organizations that help employers find the right talent for each job position, because today companies not only face a personnel shortage but also of trained workers.
Among the organizations that offer services to employers is Miami Community Ventures. This program, part of the Beacon Council Foundation, focuses on job creation and economic growth by connecting low-income unemployed individuals to living wage jobs and a career pathway.
The model of this organization, which has the support of more than 40 sponsors, partners and community supporters, includes wrap-around services for each hire for up to a year after hire, being public assistance recipients, female head-of-households, veterans and at-risk-youth between 19 and 29 years old their main target audience.
“It started because there was a problem which was that unemployed individuals couldn’t connect with jobs even though there were openings available. But now there is a solution that benefits businesses as well as the community by reducing unemployment, poverty and crime rates,” said Sheri Colas-Gervais, Executive Director of Miami Community Ventures (MCV) of the Beacon Council Foundation.
But in addition to establishing a connection between job seekers and companies, MCV also trains workers who need to acquire an specific skill while helping them sort out the difficulties they may face that can interfere with their employment, such as, for example, the lack of transportation.
Another resource that can be very helpful to employers is apprenticeship programs. One of them is the one offered by Miami-Dade College. “Imagine a student who is taking courses with us and at the same time goes to work in the evenings or days off while receiving a salary and developing a career,” said Dr. Alexia Q. Rolle, Director of Career & Technical Education at Miami-Dade College.
And what is the benefit for companies? According to Dr. Rolle, apprentices are selected according to the specific hiring needs. If, for example, an employer needs to fill an open position in general ??operations management, the institution sends the company the curriculums of the existing programs so that they can choose the one that best suits their needs.
In total, there are seven apprenticeship programs/occupations: Aircraft Structural Assembly and Fabrication, Customs Broker,
Transportation, and Logistics Specialist, Help Desk Technician, General/Operations Manager, Automotive Technician Specialist, and Automotive Service Technician. Each program lasts between 1 and 2 years and it is also possible to design a personalized program with a cost.
The last resource featured at the workshop is CareerSource South Florida. This is an initiative that establishes state and federally funded workforce development and training policies for Miami-Dade and Monroe counties.
“We offer incentives to employers especially by training talent because we have found that there is an unbalance. The last time I gave a presentation, we had 90,000 jobs available and only 80,000 candidates when generally the opposite is true,” says David Gilbert, Adult Programs Manager for CareerSource South Florida.
It is aimed at all types of businesses, small, large or non-profit and connects with a wide range of workers, from those who are looking for a better job to those who are transitioning to a new job.
Good practices
Marta E. Ramírez, Global Vice President of Human Resources at PayCargo LLC, shared the following good practices:
- Some companies have five generations of employees. Therefore, it is essential to design a personalized experience for each target audience.
- You need to cultivate leadership and identify potential leaders.
- You have to create a pleasant work environment because people are no longer tied to a job in which they are not treated with respect, they do not have flexibility or quality of life.
- Clear communication with employees is the best weapon. If someone makes more money than another in the same position, it should be clarified why.
- People need to feel useful and that they are doing work that creates value.