SmallBusinessNewz

On Friday, I wrote about dealing with the loss of a key employee, and in a semi-related piece of news, Wells Fargo and Gallup have released results from a survey regarding small business employment.

Trouble Finding Employees

It seems that many small businesses are having trouble finding these key employees in the first place. Three quarters of small business owners surveyed said that finding qualified employees is difficult and nearly three out of ten rely on family members such as their spouse to help them off the clock.

"Small businesses generate most of the job opportunities in the United States and their ability to recruit and retain employees, even in tough economic periods, is incredibly important," said Rebecca Macieira-Kaufmann, executive vice president and head of Wells Fargo's small business segment.

The survey indicates that most (7 out of 10) of those who are able to attain qualified employees are doing everything in their power to keep them around like offering paid time off and regular raises. A lack of benefits rather than a lack of skill on the job candidates' part may be what is keeping them from the job.

Macieira-Kaufmann adds, "Less than half -- 46 percent -- of small business owners offer medical, dental or other health benefits. This creates recruiting and operational challenges for businesses..."

What's the Problem?

58% of those surveyed said that the benefit issue is the biggest barrier to finding employees, while 44% cited the difficulty of finding skilled candidates. Perhaps the secret is finding the right combination of skilled candidates that don't demand benefits from a job. Maybe in a perfect world, but benefits are obviously very important to those looking for a long-term job, which should be an indication that they are interested in sticking around.

What's the Solution?

If you can't figure out a way to offer benefits, you will probably continue to struggle in your search for good loyal employees. If you do offer benefits and just can't find candidates with the right skills, maybe you should evaluate your employee training system. Perhaps it is not extensive enough. Just something to think about. If you just don't have any luck recruiting, hopefully your spouse has the required skillset...and is willing to help.