Thriving Through the Next Stage of the Pandemic

The Federal Vaccine Mandate

As we close out another year driven by the pandemic, companies continue to weather challenges—from a clogged supply chain and rising costs to inventory and labor shortages, and now, federal vaccine mandates. Starting November 22, 2021, the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate requires all employers with more than 100 workers to be vaccinated—with limited medical or religious exemptions. Asymptomatic employees who qualify for an exemption or decline vaccination are expected to provide weekly test results—with further guidance expected soon from OSHA. Add to that enhanced unemployment benefits, child care challenges, and the “Great Resignation”, and industries across the board are grappling with operating at capacity in the new normal.  

Turning to the hospitality industry, 53% of restaurant operators believe vaccine mandates will make it harder to find new workers amid an already tight labor market. And, 59% think employees will quit if forced to get the shot. A labor shortage is poised to disrupt the upcoming holiday season. With less staff, restaurants are shortening operating hours, reducing menus, and in some cases closing franchise locations to withstand the fluctuating market. Looking at hotels and retail, the story remains the same. Americans will be traveling and shopping from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, and a lack of stock, rising prices, and labor shortages will significantly impact operations across the board.  

Adapting to these challenges—in any industry—requires making genuine changes in how you operate your business, starting with attracting talent. With hiring as a leading challenge, an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) is one of the best ways to streamline the process—to find and interview the best talent in your industry. Here we look at four ways an ATS can help streamline hiring and staffing—to survive the holiday season and get set up for a prosperous new year—no matter what the pandemic throws your way.

Four ways to find and hire the best candidates faster and with less effort  

Reach more applicants—post a single job across up to 18 job boards in one click 

The hiring process begins with a job description, application, questionnaire, and any additional documents you want to include in the job post. Post your job across 18 boards, including your internal job board, Indeed, Google Jobs, and LinkedIn. All applications flow directly into your dashboard, where hiring managers can see an overview and detailed application view.  

Pre-screen job candidates for the COVID vaccination 

Easily pre-screen applicants, move qualified candidates to the interview stage and mark others as do not pursue. You can also send a meeting invite to interview applicants with the click of a button. 

Communicate by email or text to speed up the hiring process  

Expedite hiring and screening by adding an SMS text feature to your dashboard to simplify the process. New hires receive an email that gives them access to onboarding documents, including tax forms, banking details, payroll schedule, policies, and handbook.  

Leverage integrated recruiting and onboarding  

Simplify the interview and selection processes using robust scheduling, feedback, and comparison tools. Once the applicant is hired, the information is available, eliminating the re-entry of data. New hire paperwork is generated and emailed automatically to the new hire. State and federal tax forms are included and updated yearly, and electronic signatures are utilized. 

Here’s how the process works: 

CHR_Workflow

While it’s yet to be seen how the Biden Administration’s vaccine mandate will impact all industries, getting ahead of the curve by putting a system in place can help ease labor shortages and streamline your operations.  

Book a 30-minute consultation with our CEO Brian Boffa to learn more.