By Kathleen Federici, MEd

Many organizations are looking to hire talent to lead their mission in some way or another. According to Employee Benefits News, while many organizations made layoffs at the start of the pandemic, more than 80 percent plan to hire new employees. So the job posting goes up, but where are the qualified applicants? That resume from the retail chain associate doesn’t read as having any of the qualifications for the job. That nurse or teacher who wants a career re-boot has never worked in the industry before. Maybe they could do the job? But wait, what about the required technology skills?

As you recruit, you may find this pool of candidates is missing critical skills to be able to perform a job successfully. Perhaps your organization can start an apprenticeship program to upskill these candidates.

Breaking a role down into easy and generalizable chunks can assist when hiring during the pandemic. Does the role require administrative work? If yes, what projects require that attention to detail? Does the role require customer service skills? If, yes, how has the candidate demonstrated those skills with others in previous roles? Does the role require systems, reporting, or software skills? If yes, what technology skills are required?

Employers have mastered the transition to operating remotely during the pandemic. Building a virtual workforce is the next hurdle employers face as they make plans to rehire this year. Many candidates want to continue to work from home for a myriad of reasons.

Chin up. Hiring during the pandemic can be challenging, but your next round of awesome employees is right around the corner!

Katherine Federici, MEd, is IPMI’s director of professional development.

By Kim Fernandez

The hotel was church-pew quiet when I wandered down to the lobby at about 1:30 a.m., three hours after we arrived at our Disney World accommodations. My kids were little, it had been a long and loud day, and I was wiped out. But we were all sharing a room and as two of my three beloveds fell into deep slumbers, they started snoring. No sleep for me.

I passed two workers up on ladders scrubbing the lobby walls (scrubbing the walls!) on my way to a very comfortable couch, where I sat and stared at a wall. “Can I help you,” asked a desk agent who walked over. Snoring roommates, I told her. She smiled and disappeared … and then re-appeared, pushing a little bag into my hands and wishing me a good night.

Earplugs. She brought me earplugs. No charge—just here they are. Because they’ve thought of everything. And I slept and enjoyed a wonderful vacation and have kept Disney close to my heart ever since.

My savior behind the desk probably learned her customer service skills from a program developed by Lee Cockerell, who was EVP of Disney before becoming a speaker, podcast host, and bestselling author of books about hiring the right people and teaching them those stellar skills, ingraining service into the company culture no matter what company is in question. He’s the man behind much of the Disney magic you experience. And, believe it or not, he recently shared lots of thoughts with me about the parking industry.

Read all about it in the November issue of The Parking Professional, coming to an inbox near you next week. I can’t wait to share it with you. Not to go too far, but you might say it’s magical.

Kim Fernandez is IPMI’s director of publications and editor of The Parking Professional.

Tag Archives: hiring

Hiring During the Pandemic

The Best Kind of Disney Magic