Outdoor Solutions is a provider of lawn care, snow removal, and exterior home services with a history of steady growth and an excellent reputation for reliable service. A recent upturn in home construction has increased demand for services, but Rob Dow, the owner is having trouble meeting the demand. 

Dow expressed his frustration to his Friday morning networking group over coffee and asked other business owners how they managed to keep fully staffed with qualified workers. “Getting and keeping good employees is so hard. Out of ten applicants, I’m lucky to get two that have adequate math skills and can pass a background check. Chances are one of them will quit in six months. I was hoping to expand, but at this rate I’ll be lucky to maintain our current customers.” Several commiserated, sharing their hiring and turnover problems.

Dow turned to Metinka Bower, owner of a local office staffing company and asked if she had the same problem, or if she had a magic pill that turned applicants into awesome workers. She replied, “No, no magic pill, but there are a few things you can do to increase the odds.” When pressed for a solution, she explained that it depends on the situation and volunteered to stop by Outdoor Solutions later in the day after visiting a nearby client. 

Her discussion with Dow revealed that until last year, he had relied on employee referrals and newspaper ads for recruiting. He told her “I try to have a friendly, casual atmosphere. We treat workers fairly and try to promote from within, that’s why employee referrals have always worked.” Dow went on to explain that when those sources weren’t adequate, he put ads on Craigslist. He also explained that pay and benefits are competitive with other providers of similar services in the area. He was reluctant to raise the starting wage due to the extensive training necessary for new hires, including handing of chemicals, safety, defensive driving, and customer service. “They get a great education here, but after six months, it seems like half of them leave because they think they can start their own service and make more money.”

Bower asked if she could speak to a few employees. Dow introduced her to Bette Jordan, who was responsible for safety and training and left to take a call. Jordan agreed that the math and communication skills of applicants have steadily declined. “Rob’s inability to stay fully staffed is causing all sorts of other problems. Some of our experienced workers are starting to leave because they’re getting tired of waiting for the promotions Rob promised would occur when we expand. They’re also tired of all the overtime they’re putting in. Rob says that it’s a ‘family friendly’ workplace, but it really isn’t because they’re working so late.” She went on to confide “I probably shouldn’t tell you this. Rob doesn’t even know, but one of the guys put a photo of himself chained to his mower on Instagram and all the employees saw it. I hear there are other things posted that don’t make the company look very good either. For example, when the local paper included us in an article on how to start a great lawn, there were a couple of anonymous comments on their website about the long hours and boring work at Outdoor Solutions. 

Questions: 

1. Explain factors that complicate the recruiting process at Outdoor Solutions.

2. Suggest the best choices of internal and external recruiting methods to improve the number and quality of applicants for Outdoor Solutions. Explain your choices.

3. Research: Search several online sites for staffing issues for small businesses and suggestions for better recruiting and retention. Explain the common concerns and suggestions. Be sure to include your sources.