Is your small business having trouble landing the right talent? If so, you're not alone.
According to ANZ's Business Micro Scope survey, a shortage of skilled staff is the number one challenge New Zealand's small businesses are facing.
The report, which was released on January 8, found that 18 per cent of small enterprises in the country identified finding talent as their biggest obstacle. This proportion of organisations is up 3 per cent from September, with the issue remaining on the top three problems for companies since June.
Nonetheless, the survey had positive results as a whole, pointing to increasing business confidence at the third-highest level in 15 years.
What can organisations do to overcome skills shortages and take advantage of positive outlooks? Technology might be able to ease the burden in a number of ways.
First, implementing digital tools, such as small business accounting software, could help enterprises streamline their operations, drastically reducing the amount of time and effort it requires to complete data entry and other tasks. In some cases, this benefit might enable organisations to lessen the number of employees they need to keep their operations running.
Intuitive programs may assist companies in closing the skills gap. If you're finding it difficult to hire accounting staff, for instance, Accomplish's CashManager could help since it's designed to be easy to use even without accounting expertise. Accomplish even offers training to help staff members and business leaders learn how to utilise the technology effectively and efficiently.
Finally, adopting more technology could enable companies to become more attractive employment options for the next generation of workers. Millennials are characterised by their love of digital tools, so a step in this direction might boost competitiveness when it comes to recruiting.