The Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta buzzed with activity this summer as more than 6,000 high school students from across the U.S. showcased their talents in the The Skills USA Championships.

To fully appreciate its vast scale, visitors must climb a set of platform steps to access a panoramic view of the action below. Look in one direction and you’ll see teens competing in electrical wiring. Turn your head another way and you’ll see young men and women welding, or testing their masonry skills, or working on HVAC units.

The scene is truly uplifting, so many faces full of concentration, so much pride in a job well done in 115 total skills events.

While the platform in the center of the competition gives a spectator an overhead view of young people in action, there’s another bird’s eye view regarding the meaning of it all and how the event ties to our nation’s economy.

Those teens are so important — so needed! Our country’s industries face rocky times ahead as Baby Boomers age out of their jobs without enough skilled workers in younger generations to replace them.

“We hear every day from our member companies — of every size and industry, across nearly every state — that they’re facing unprecedented challenges trying to find enough workers to fill open jobs,” said Stephanie Ferguson, Director of Global Employment and Policy Special Initiatives for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “Right now, the latest data shows that we have 8.5 million job openings in the U.S. but only 6.5 million unemployed workers.”

Think about it: What trouble do you have finding skilled labor? What difficulties are your contractors having in recruiting new talent? How gray is your trusted plumber or electrician’s hair?

Labor is a top concern across fields, and the massive investment by industries in the Skills USA competition is another form of proof, with the event drawing $36 million in donated time, equipment, cash and materials by participating businesses.

As you read this, think of your staff. Think of your future. How do you position your company to not only survive but thrive within the greater context of labor shortages?

Businesses who take a holistic approach have the best chance for success in years to come. That means finding multiple viable answers, not just one, such as protecting what you have, treating AI as a power tool not a fix all, breaking your geographic labor boundaries, and being a future self gardener.

FIRST, PROTECT WHAT YOU HAVE

An “attitude of gratitude” is a great way to approach life, but it’s also sound business. We tend to view recruitment and hiring as a one-time deal. We get an employee on board, and their recruitment is over. Well, not really. Employees always have the stay/go option, and in a labor market short on workers, your best employees will have options. Every experienced worker you lose represents substantial costs in training and lost productivity.

That’s why you need a staff maintenance plan, just as you have a facilities maintenance agenda. And yes, I mean something planned, written out, reviewed, and implemented, then revised as needed. Failure to develop a real plan is a liability. Don’t leave retention uncovered as a business necessity. Too many companies treat employee loyalty as a “hope for” rather than “earn” matter, which proves a constant revenue and brain drain.

A staff maintenance plan recognizes the emotional needs of your staff and implements actions to address a full spectrum of emotional expectations. Yes, compensation is the most obvious, and developing clear incentive-based pay options provides the best way to motivate team members to meet and exceed your goals. Take time to determine a merit-based motivational structure and align it with your top needs as a company. When you tie employee pay to performance metrics, you’ll see your keepers truly shine.

But don’t expect money to solve it all when it comes to retention. We each spend our days at work, and our satisfaction closely aligns with our sense of purpose, connection, autonomy, flexibility, and opportunities to learn and grow. As you develop your staff maintenance plan, consider each of these emotional needs as a subhead in that document. What are you doing to systematically address each need? What else can you do? Be vigilant in looking for new ways to express an attitude of gratitude toward those who make your business what it is.

AI AS YOUR POWER TOOL, NOT YOUR FIX ALL

Applications of AI have been with us for some time, but the hype tsunami hit after the public release of ChatGPT. Yes, the technology is amazing. The uses are many, and they will multiply in the years to come.

But the technology and the hype are two separate matters, so take your mental knife and split them in two halves like an apple. You don’t need the hype half. It has a worm in it. That worm is called “fear of missing out” or “FOMO.”

The FOMO worm infects decision making in a very bad way, moving choices from logical to emotional, and anytime the worm appears in mass, as it does in any hype cycle, a get-rich-quick flock of birds gathers to consume the worms.

Toss that worm away. Focus on the healthy half of the apple by treating AI technology as a mental hardware store with new tools, but most of them won’t be exactly what you need. Encourage your employees to walk around that “store” to explore what tasks can be performed with greater efficiency, while assessing what risks are incurred by trading human oversight for automation.

As you hire, look for people with enthusiasm for AI and what it can do. You want a staff that’s continuously seeking new mental challenges. In this way, think of AI as directional rather than transformational. You and your team actively look for best uses, but you’re also aware of the birds and you’re not holding a worm.

Ultimately, an arsenal of AI power tools can transform business just like power tools changed construction, but best use comes from employee-driven attention to practicality and leadership’s encouragement of curiosity.

BREAK YOUR GEOGRAPHIC LABOR BOUNDARIES

When hiring, recognize that the digital revolution has transformed the labor market, but it’s not just AI making waves. While artificial intelligence garners headlines, the ability to outsource office tasks to more affordable markets offers businesses substantial savings without compromising work quality — provided the hiring process is sound. This reduction in overhead can be redirected to boost compensation for essential on-site staff in high-demand positions.

Consider this straightforward exercise: Take a sheet of paper and draw two columns labeled “On-site” and “Off-site.” Now, evaluate every role within your company. Which tasks absolutely must be performed locally? Place these in the left column. Then, ask yourself: What responsibilities can be managed remotely? List these on the right.

As you examine your “Off-site” column, consider: Do these tasks need to be confined to your local talent pool? Is there a reason to limit your search to within the United States? Are you committed to “on-shore” staffing, or would you entertain “off-shore” options from more cost-effective labor markets?

Many forward-thinking companies are leveraging this new virtual reality to their advantage. By tapping into global talent pools, they’re not only offsetting various business pressures but also gaining a competitive edge over rivals who haven’t yet embraced this approach. The most successful businesses will be those who recognize and harness the power of a borderless workforce to help offset shortages.

NURTURE YOUR POTENTIAL STARS

Most of all, don’t fall into the trap of reactive hiring — waiting until a position opens up before scrambling to find the perfect candidate. With an increasingly tight labor market, it’s crucial to adopt a more proactive, long-term approach to talent acquisition. Consider how sports teams identify and nurture potential stars long before they’re needed. How can your company implement a similar strategy?

Start by recognizing the charismatic leaders within your organization. Encourage them to engage with young people, helping students envision their “future selves” as valued team members in your company. Organize hands-on sessions that give potential recruits a taste of the work. Expand your internship programs to create more entry points. Reach out to influential educators in your community —— those with a knack for inspiring youth — and ask them to recommend students who demonstrate curiosity, a positive attitude, and strong work ethic. Then, take the initiative to connect with these promising individuals, showcasing what makes your company unique.

Many young people grapple with the question, “What will I do with my life?” The more compelling answers you can provide, the more likely you are to attract and retain top talent from the younger generation in the years to come.

On a related note, consider the labor outlook for your vendors, too. If you have truly valuable business partners who you want to succeed, ask what they’re doing to find new talent and invest in that effort where possible, such as sponsoring registration or hotel fees for a teen they’re recruiting at a workforce development event, such as Skills USA. Such actions will strengthen your relationships with reliable vendors, showing them that you’re invested in their success. This won’t hurt the next time you need their services.

If you’ve never attended, consider making the trip to Atlanta next summer to the Skills USA National Championships. Take a trip up that platform and observe the scene. You’ll be amazed at the skills on display.

Then consider the greater bird’s eye view of the U.S. labor market and your company’s place within it. Think about your holistic approach to tackling labor scarcity. We can do this, but it will take many approaches and many people focused on a shared goal — being our best. Let’s go, USA!

Anne Lackey is the co-founder of HireSmart Virtual Employees, a full-service HR firm helping others recruit, hire & train top global talent. She can be reached at anne@hiresmartvirtualemployees.com.

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