Local businesses struggle to find reliable workers
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Employers across the country, including in our area, continue to face a worker shortage.
Most agree it happened post-pandemic.
According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Mississippi has 49 available workers for every 100 open jobs.
LeeAnn Johnson is the staffing coordinator for the CPI Group in Columbus.
She and her colleagues help employers find the right workers to fill their open positions.
“Companies reach out to us to help find the best employees. We do a series of questions to get their skill set of what they’re looking for and the positions they’re hiring for,” said Johnson.
Johnson said it can be difficult to find workers who are reliable and responsible.
“Some of the challenges that we have in day to day is having the applicant actually show up on time for the interview. We also have challenges of them being on time and passing drug screens,” said Johnson.
Johnson said when she is trying to match a worker with a business, she has specific attributes in mind.
“Reliability, confidence, and of course, their skillsets for the position that they are applying for,” said Johnson.
While some companies are willing to train new hires, Johnson says others want workers with experience – or even prior knowledge of the specific field.
“It varies. Different companies of course. Different positions that they’re hiring for do require a different set of skill sets. Some more advanced than others, so we try to accommodate the best that we can,” said Johnson.
Job-seekers can find openings on CPI’s website or apply through the company they want to work for.
Johnson said being confident can also help when applying for a job.
