An employment crisis in Green Valley
The population of nearby Sahuarita is expected to double to almost 30,000 people in the next five years. Unless most of the new residents will be actively seeking employment in Green Valley, we can expect a labor shortage (read: crisis) if we don’t have one already.
The new Super Wal-Mart in Sahuarita employs about 430 people, of which 220 are new employees. Their employment needs pushed Green Valley over the edge.
The last time I checked, there were 351 employment ads for Green Valley employment. Some are seeking more than one new employee, so it’s safe to guesstimate that currently there are job openings for over 500 employees.
What does this mean for the residents of Green Valley and the surrounding area? We can all look forward to longer waits in restaurants, medical offices, grocery stores, and probably every service related business. In addition, because of the low supply of prospective employees, the quality of the service we will encounter will be less than desirable. Unfortunately, some existing businesses will either close their doors, severely cut back on hours, or limit the products or services they provide.
What can employers do? I’m certainly not expert in the area, but put yourself in the shoes of a Green Valley business owner who needs competent employees to survive. What would you do?
You probably would first try to retain the employees you have. Talk to them. What are their concerns? What are their needs? How can you ease their concerns and satisfy those needs while still preserving your business. Flexible hours, more positive feedback about performance and an improved work environment are usually more important to an employee than a token salary increase or a 401k program.
As the need arises for additional hires, place a higher emphasis on willingness and ability to learn rather than past experience. Hire hungry people. If you have to pay more, be prepared to do so, but remember to treat your existing employees equally.
What can we residents do? We can all try to exhibit a bit more patience when dealing with employees. A smile and a thank you go a long way.
The lack of an ample supply of competent employees is not unique to Green Valley. What is unique is that we live in a community of 25,000 people who, for the most part, are not actively seeking employment. The employment situation here is only going to get worse.
March 1st, 2006 at 6:27 am
Last Sunday I was at the new Wal-Mart, picked up a few items and went to the “speedy checkout” lane. 20 minutes later, I had reached the check stand. I noted that only a few of their many check-out counters were manned. Commenting on the delay and the few manned stations to the clerk, I was advised they are still 100 employees short. And the store has been opened a months or so. One would think they would have had their full compliment of employees before they opened the door. But as you have observed, OldGeezer, there is a problem brewing.
March 1st, 2006 at 10:30 am
During a recent mid-morning visit I too noticed that only a few checkout lanes were operational, unlike opening week. There were a lot less cars in the parking lot as well.
This shortage of checkers seems to be commonplace, not only at Wal-Mart. Price,
service, quality. Pick one.