For some businesses, December can be a very difficult month, particularly those in retail who begin hiring in October and November for the Christmas rush and have no time to breathe until January. For other businesses, however, the entire month of December can seem like a slowdown or work stoppage due to holidays, time off, vacation days, office parties, snow days, etc. So how can a small to mid-size business take advantage of the December slowdown to ensure that in January they are fully staffed and ready to go with a productive team?
The Westchester-Putnam Workforce Development Board has several programs in place to help businesses find, train and retain employees and there is no better time to find out about these resources and start using them than in December when things slow down.
- Search resumes: Sounds like we are stating the obvious, but many local companies are not aware of the resources available on this Web site. First create an account for your business using the simple portal, then begin searching by keywords or by sector. This way, if you just know you need help, but aren’t sure of the specific job description, you can begin searching resumes to see who is available to fill positions. There are thousands of resumes at any given time within the system. Search, narrow down your choices and then begin scheduling interviews in December.
- Post job openings and begin interviewing: Once you have created your account in the portal, you can then post job openings that you have for your business and begin getting a response right away. In fact, some of the individuals in the system have been pre-screened to ensure they fit certain job criteria. Take advantage of the slow days of December to interview potential candidates who can go to work immediately or begin in January.
- Hire a new employee for free: Once you identify a qualified candidate on the Westchester-Putnam One Stop site you can hire them for a job try out and One-Stop will pay their salary for a full six weeks. That way you can begin training them in December and not have the cost hit your bottom line. This opportunity is available all year long.
- Sign up for your own training to add an employee: One-Stop has a program titled ‘Just Add One.’ This program is funded by a grant awarded to Westchester Community College and enables small businesses owners to go through training that ultimately helps them to hire an additional employee, helping both their business and the economy. The training includes strategic planning, leadership, social media, branding, customer service, human resources and more. Signing up today will give you an edge in January; the next class starts in January. Send an e-mail to Romina Ganopolsky at RG099@sunywcc.edu to apply.
- Offer on-the-job training: The Westchester-Putnam Business Sector Partnership offers workforce solutions and services in seven key industries: green businesses, healthcare, hospitality, professional services, advanced manufacturing, biotech and not for profits. Through these special groups within One-Stop, they offer on-the-job training. And if you’re in healthcare, you can take advantage of the ‘Jobs Waiting’ program where candidates with special skills are waiting to be hired and you’ll receive financial incentives.
December can be a productive month for your business so that 2017 starts off with a bang. Call (914) 995-4975 and ask how they can help your business.
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