Team Insight

ISSUES HIRING 32 Team Insight ~ January/February 2022 teaminsightmag.com members of the team." In regard to road reps – a trouble spot for many dealers – Miller points out that ASB Sports employs a wide spectrum of ages, so it's not a big issue. "A small percentage have left, but most reps are competitive and will battle challenges to deliver to their customers," he says. "More use of technology, especially with younger coaches, also bodes well. But you still need face-to-face meetings to keep relationships alive." In other areas of the business, such as customer service, ASB Sports is hiring wherever it can find good people. Production and warehouse positions present the biggest hurdles. "It's very challenging because it can't be done remotely," explains Miller. "We've worked with people to create flexible schedules and have worked with high school and college students. We use referrals and we offer referral bonuses. You have to use all strategies in this day and age." Miller notes that while the supply chain mess hasn't affected hiring very much, it has impacted workloads, primarily in sourcing, inventory, procurement and production. "High performers are being called on to work more and overtime is the new normal due to the supply chain disruption. It's kind of a balancing act," he says. Miller expects the labor market to continue to be challenging through 2022. "If you can be a place where people want to work and you communicate well, that'll help. You have to adapt and be resilient, creative and nimble," he adds. "I'm excited for 2022. There will be opportunities — it's just a matter of being diligent and forging ahead." Challenges for Vendors As Well The labor shortage is also exasperating for many vendors, including Dave Banning, CEO of Reusch and TRUsox. "It's been extremely difficult even getting people to apply, but now that [government] benefits are starting to end, we're seeing more candidates apply. We're hoping to see more people getting back to work in 2022." For Reusch, which operates in the ski market as well as the team business, selling and staffing challenges differ. In ski, more attention is being paid to regional shows, which are important to reps and dealers. But on the team side, particularly in soccer – a core business for Reusch – there's no infrastructure such as the ski market has, so reps are given bigger territories. "There have been more retirements and we're not seeing younger replacements coming in," says Banning. "There are fewer dealers and larger territories to cover, meaning fewer visits from road reps." In the office and warehouse, the situation is equally challenging for Reusch, which now offers a significant wage increase of up to 20 percent for office and warehouse employees. Nevertheless, only two out of every five people show up for job interviews or follow up afterwards. "In addition, the supply chain is very undependable, which makes it hard to know when to have people available," Banning adds. "It's messing up the spring selling season. In the year ahead, we hope to see more honest applications from people who want to work in the sporting goods market." Like Banning, Yvette Beale, director of people operations at OrderMyGear, is struggling to get and retain employees, especially in the highly competitive tech arena. "People want remote work, a better work/life balance and better pay and benefits," she explains. "Lots of businesses are offering remote work and there are lots of open jobs, so people are jumping ship to gain better pay and benefits." Beale reveals that OMG's hiring strategy is to focus on relationships with colleges and universities, creating a pipeline for good employees with a focus on attracting recent graduates with little experience. "We can train people internally and promote from within, and this helps us retain top talent," she explains. "We really promote our culture and highlight the 'magic.' We're a team-oriented and team- centric organization, we create solutions and we have lots of employee events both on-site and off-site." She notes that in 2021, OMG hired 85 people and the company wants to hire as many or more in 2022. n When seeking job candidates, encourage referrals and seek word-of-mouth suggestions from current employees and customers. Consider forming partnerships with high schools, universities or organizations within your community to help create an employee pipeline. Show appreciation and respect to your current employees by providing positive feedback and constructive advice on a regular basis. Give your employees an opportunity to grow. Promote from within and offer ongoing training and education. Employees see such initiatives as an investment in their future. Forty-five percent of Millennials say a job that accelerates their professional or career development is "very important" to them. This compares to 31 percent of Gen Xers and 18 percent of Baby Boomers. Encourage employee creativity and recognize and incentivize employees that contribute in a tangible way. "We're not as concerned about a person's resume as we are about life experience and drive." Todd Garretson, Garretson's Sport Center Tips for Hiring and Retaining Workers HELP WANTED

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