Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | November 11, 2024 | wbjournal.com To attract top talent, Central Mass. employers still are offering higher wages, flexible schedules, and referral bonuses BY MICA KANNER-MASCOLO WBJ Staff Writer F our and a half years aer the COVID-19 pandemic altered the configuration of the U.S. workforce, Central Massachu- setts employers are still navi- gating the reverberations of a landscape that changed overnight. In April 2020, the U.S. lost 20.5 million jobs, surging the nation's unemployment rate to 14.7%, according to the U.S. Bu- reau of Labor Statistics. Unemployment quickly rebounded, though, particularly aer federal inter- ventions, such as the CARES Act. Over the course of the next year, employers were faced with a new challenge: a workforce shortage, as the pandemic led to waves of early retirements, workers leaving to start their own businesses, and employees shiing to part time to take care of children and family. In response, employers increased wages to attract talent and keep their businesses afloat. e number of remote workers more than tripled, and BLS reports that between December 2020 and June 2024, the average private employer cost for employee compensation rose 31%, from $40.58 per hour to $53.15. For Central Massachusetts employers today, staying competitive in attracting the post-pandemic workforce means continuing to boost wages and offer job seekers the workplace flexibility they've grown accustomed to. Rethinking recruitment As Central Massachusetts' largest em- ployer with more than 17,000 workers, UMass Memorial Health in Worcester has seen a decrease in traditionally prepared candi- dates: those with the credentials, background, and experience for the jobs they're applying for, said Kaitlyn Urlaub, vice president, talent acquisition at UMMH. To address this, UMMH utilizes its earn-and-learn pro- grams where employees can maintain a position within the system while setting aside time to learn new skills. ese pro- grams are offered to critical roles, such as surgical technicians, medical assistants, and computed tomography techs. e system has cut down the require- ments for these roles to attract applicants. "We need to tap into candidate pools that we might not have in previous years," said Urlaub. PHOTO | WBJ FILE Kaitlyn Urlaub, vice president at UMass Memorial Health HR & RECRUITMENT Central Mass. unemployment rates The four Central Massachusetts regions tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics saw spikes in unemployment rates over the summer, although they've since fallen. Region September 2024 August 2024 September 2023 Greater Worcester 3.5% 4.5% 3.2% Leominster-Gardner region 4.1% 5.3% 3.4% Greater Framingham 3.2% 4.1% 2.7% Athol micropolitan area 3.9% 4.9% 3.6% Source: Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development UMMH's talent acquisition team meets with students at high schools, vocational programs, and those on asso- ciates and bachelor's degree tracks. "[It's] really just one long interview. If you give an opportunity to a student, they get to learn, they get comfortable with the unit, they learn about the orga- nization. We want to be able to extend them an offer," said Urlaub. UMass Memorial has extended its recruitment internationally, especially for hard-to-fill roles requiring specialized credentials, such as surgical technicians and occupational therapists. In the restaurant industry, Central Massachusetts has a strong talent pool, but applicants don't have the creden- tials they used to pre-2020, said Caitlyn Carolan, president of the Worcester Restaurant Group. Applicants are younger and less experienced, Ca- rolan said, mean- ing management needs to spend more time training new hires. is isn't necessarily a negative, said Carolan. WRG owns restaurants e Sole Proprietor, 111 Chop House, and VIA Italian Table, all in Worcester, and having young talent brings new energy. e most difficult positions to find applicants are those requiring certain skill sets, such as cooks, she said. Appli- cants who have been trained in culinary schools are few and far between. "So when you find somebody good, you've got to hang on to them. You've got to work hard to hang on to them," she said. Paying up To stay competitive for applicants, UMass Memorial conducts an annu- al market review, signaling trends in compensation to leadership for consid- eration. For example, UMMH had diffi- culty recruiting for respiratory therapists and computed tomography technologist roles, so it adjusted the compensation. UMMH has bolstered its referral program. Pre-pandemic, the referral bonus for registered nurses was $3,000, while post-pandemic, that incentive has increased to $5,000. e number of positions eligible for referral bonuses increased from 20+ to 50+. Like other restaurants, Carolan raised wages during the height of COVID, a feat she said was made easier due to gov- ernment funding from agencies like the U.S. Small Business Administration. In 2024, the need to offer higher start- ing wages isn't as dire as it was a few years ago, but the need to stay competitive in the job marketplace remains, she said. Remote, remote, remote While compensation is still a factor, another major request from applicants is the desire for a remote or hybrid work, said Kyle Pardo, executive vice president of Boston-based AIM HR Solutions, a subsidiary of the trade group Associated Industries of Massachusetts. "People are actually looking for really the whole package: the whole culture and the environment and what that all looks like," Pardo said. e rise in remote work has made it more difficult to hire in the hospitality industry, said Carolan. Restaurant work is physical labor, and employees are on their feet working long nights and weekends. "We work when people play," she said. "Our need to have people working dinner shis and week- end shis is always going to be there, because that's just what we do. And it's been more chal- lenging to find people that want to work those hours." Some job seekers are prioritizing the opportunity for flexible work hours, with varied schedules as opposed to the traditional 9 to 5, Pardo said. "Everybody is really looking for flex- ibility," said Urlaub. "ey might have a full-time role somewhere else, or they might be in the period of their life where they're raising young children, taking care of aging parents, and they need more flexibility." Continued FLEXIBILITY UMass Memorial Health in Worcester has adjusted to employee workplace preferences and demands. Caitlyn Carolan, president of Worces- ter Restaurant Group Kyle Pardo, executive vice president of AIM HR Solutions

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