In the United States, the traditional picture of an employment gap has been flipped on its head. The old-fashioned view of a labour crisis is one of struggling workers unable to find the employment they need to make ends meet as doors close and job prospects dwindle. Today, as America recovers its GDP to pre-pandemic levels, the opposite is true — businesses cannot find the employees they need to fill their available roles.
There are now 3 million fewer workers in the United States than before the pandemic struck in 2020. This is causing significant problems across the United States. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce identified durable goods manufacturing as one of the worst affected industries as businesses fail to meet staffing levels needed to fill product orders and keep the supply chain moving. It is estimated that the manufacturing industry has lost 1.4 million workers since the pandemic's beginning.
Figures released in March 2022 suggested that there were 11.3 million vacant jobs in the United States. While quitting rates among workers continued to track below hiring rates — a minor positive in an otherwise bleak landscape — there are simply not enough workers to fill these available jobs.
As businesses struggle, many are turning to labour-hire organisations to fill the gap. Labour-hire firms devote their time and resources to finding and maintaining a pool of workers, and the supply of these workers will be critical as America gets back on track post-Covid-19.
The Digital Toolkit that Labour-Hire Organisations Need
But labour-hire organisations cannot close this workforce gap alone. Instead, they need their own support if they are to adequately provide the personnel that businesses need to staff their projects and grow their capacity — this support will come from innovative digital toolsets.
These digital toolsets must fulfil various functions, reducing labour-hire organisations' time, resource, and cost intensity as they plug the workforce gap. The idea is to modernise workforce management approaches and give these labour-hire organisations the support and capability they need as they support economic growth nationwide.
Comprehensive personnel management
Labour-hire organisations need to be able to manage a large number of personnel, as well as a large number of different clients. These clients need team members with specific skills and competencies, which can result in a matching headache for the labour-hire organisations tasked with assigning staff to appropriate roles. Software platforms can eliminate this headache, automatically identifying skill matches and accelerating the matching process without compromising accuracy.
Verifying qualifications and ensuring safe work
Digital platforms can quickly verify the training and qualifications that each team member has attained. This means there is no danger of matching an individual with a job they are not qualified for. The platform can also ensure that safety requirements are met, delivering accurate reports that help labour-hire organisations comply with all regulations.
Direct support for personnel in the field
The labour-hire digital toolkit must be accessible to personnel deployed in the field. These team members need a cloud-based solution that they can access remotely to update timesheets, log completed tasks, and connect with resources that help them carry out their work safely and effectively.
Alloc8 as Part of the Labour-Hire Toolkit
Alloc8 is an innovative piece of scheduling software designed to help businesses match personnel to the right roles. With automated and AI-based tools, a range of reporting capabilities, and a wealth of other features, Alloc8 can provide precisely what labour-hire organisations need to meet the growing needs of their clients. Reach out to our team today to schedule a demo of the platform.