Episode 241: How to get UNSTUCK with Hiring in 2021

On today's podcast, I'm making my next prediction! There are 8.1 million job openings and 9.8 million unemployed per the Dept of Labor. It's time to stop complaining and start making adjustments to get people hired. You are not alone.... let me help you get your business back! BIGGEST TAKEAWAYS: We are in a service industry revolution! Nobody is looking at your old hiring ads. Add more phases to your hiring process and get better applicants. Your applicants are checking you out too! Show Highlights Bella's next prediction! (6:45) Training determines how long people stay with your company. (12:00) Change up your hiring process. (14:50) Your business is not meant to put you in bondage. (20:00) Links Free Facebook group, Jump Start Your Pet Business here. To sign up for Better Marketing With Bella Semester 2, click here. To email Bella, if there is anything you’d specifically like to hear about, email [email protected] Share The Show Did you enjoy the show? We would love it if you subscribed today and left us a 5-star review! Click this link – Bella In Your Business Click on the ‘Subscribe’ button below the artwork Go to the ‘Ratings and Reviews’ section Click on ‘Write a Review’ Transcript: This is episode 241 of Bella in Your Business. Hi there, I’m Bella Vasta from Jump Consulting. You might know me from CBS, NBC, Fox, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur, or maybe you’ve seen me speak on stage or read my book, The Four Dogs That Every Business Owner Needs. In any case, get ready because you’re about to get your hashtag Bella Butt Kickin’ in this next episode of Bella in Your Business. So what do you say? Let’s get ready and jump. Welcome to another episode of Bella in Your Business. Boy, if you missed it on Monday, I really went off on my Facebook page. I had notes, I had signs, and everything. I just started going—to the point that I actually started sweating. Monday, May 17th, this is my Facebook Live, and I wanted to share it with you all. Please heed my advice. If you’re having trouble with hiring, reach out. You don’t have to struggle alone. There are so many different things you can do, both free and paid, that I can help you out with. Let’s have a chat because you deserve to have the business you want. Without further ado, here’s the next episode. There are 8.1 million job openings right now and 9.8 million unemployed per the Labor Department. What? My name is Bella Vasta, and if we’re just meeting for the first time, I am the leader of Jump Consulting, also a mastermind, also an agency where we provide people’s graphics and manage Facebook groups. I’m also a podcast host from Bella in Your Business, and today I’m here to give you guys another prediction because I want to tell you something really quick. This is going to start off really in your face. Those of you who know me and love me know this is how I am. I’ve predicted everything that’s happened the past year, and I’m here with more predictions. But I’m not just here with predictions; I’m here with solutions to your problems. I don’t know how long this is going to go, but this is so important for me to get out to you right now that I’m basically going live on every single channel I possibly can via StreamYard. So first step of business—grant StreamYard permission. Just click that little thing at the top of the comments if you want to interact with me and let me know that you’re here. I’ve got a meeting with my team in 18 minutes that I’m prepared to push back because this is how important this is. I’ve got a list of notes to tell you guys, and we’re going to get straight into it. But first, for those just joining, take a look. If you are a pet sitter or a dog walker company trying to hire right now, look at this. I am so tired of hearing people say that it’s the job market. We’ve heard that the sky is falling many times. If you want to stay in that camp, this video is not for you. If you don’t want solutions or to get a little uncomfortable and have me challenge you, this video is not for you. But if you want some tough love and ideas backed with facts, this is for you. I predicted this bubble. We knew this bubble was coming, and the people in the mastermind got all their systems smooth. All their onboarding systems—like the six steps to getting someone onto their team—are now easy. But now we can’t find people, right? I’ve asked a couple of questions in the groups. I said, “Okay, so what have you done differently?” You’re always going to have hiring problems. The only thing you can change is how you’re doing it—how you’re looking at the problem, how you’re zigging and zagging. If you’re doing the same thing you did in early 2020, it’s not going to work—or it’s going to take a long time to work. It’s always going to be up to you to change things. Back in the first quarter of 2020, the unemployment rate was at 3%, and people were saying there’s nobody to hire. Now we’re saying the unemployment rate is off the charts, everything’s volatile. Unemployment was just extended to September. Let’s get into this. Stocks have tumbled for the week as investors stress about rising prices and inflation. Consumer prices jumped 4.2% in April—the biggest increase since 2008. Amazon is now paying new hires $17 an hour. Chipotle bumped up to $15. Uber and Lyft are offering bonuses to get drivers. Walmart raised its average rate to $15. President Biden extended the $300 extra per week benefit to September. This isn’t political—it’s just reality. Women carried the bulk of childcare duties as schools remained closed. Women stayed home, their jobs were the first to go. Things are moving, and we don’t need to be scared; we need to be armed with information. “Okay, Bella, how do I compete with $17 an hour? Do I need to pay $18?” No, you don’t. The people you hire for dog walking and pet sitting are empathetic nurturers who would do it for free because they care. It’s not a lifelong career job, and turnover might be high. But remember, we are in the service industry—and I predict we are entering a service industry revolution. You’ll hear it more soon, but mark my words—you heard it here first. There’s a shortage everywhere—restaurants, salons, trades—and it’s going to change how we attract workers. You only have to be this good to do it. First, have the right people on your team. Then hire and continuously train them to impress customers so they stay with you. Many pet businesses went under last year, but there are also more “pandemic puppies” and “COVID kitties.” Even if shelters are full from returns, those pets still need care. There’s a huge opportunity right now. Stop saying, “I hope people will apply.” If your job ad is 21 days old, they won’t. It’s time to work smarter. Now’s the time to hunker down. If your systems aren’t smooth yet, do it now. You can hire in multiples. When unemployment runs out, it’ll get more volatile. The only thing you can control is how you attract people. Do you have multiple ad versions? Do you know your conversion rate—how many views versus applicants? Do you track which job boards give you the best results? You deserve to know this data. Live in the data, tweak weekly. I suggest posting weekly and using JazzHR. Go to jumpconsulting.net/jazzHR—I got you 50% off. Hundreds of pet sitters use it to hire in bulk. They can even re-engage past applicants quickly. If you think JazzHR just posts jobs, you’re wrong—it’s much more. I’ve shown blogs, videos, playlists—everything. You’re so busy right now, leads are coming in, and you don’t have workers. That must change. I won’t let you say, “I can’t find anyone to hire,” until you’ve tried everything. You can’t keep posting the same ad. Once you get people, train them properly—with excitement. They need to see it, read it, and hear it repeatedly. Pet Care Team Training helps with that. You can see five sample videos at petcareteamtraining.com/video. We are in a service industry revolution. How will you train and invest in your people? In 2019, we complained we couldn’t hire because unemployment was too low. Now it’s high, and we’re still complaining. When will we stop and adapt? I have people in my mastermind hiring multiple staff a week because they’ve implemented phases: questionnaires, open-ended questions, short videos, personality tests, and in-person interviews. The further candidates go, the fewer no-shows. Others use social media, videos, and graphics to show that their business is credible. Applicants look at your pages and decide—does this look like a real, professional business? People want to work for someone who looks reliable, not a mom-and-pop setup. You can do this. You just have to change your mindset. Once you get great candidates, move fast. Don’t wait days to reply—they’ll go somewhere else. If you contact them and wait 10 days for a response, that’s on you. Each hiring phase should test something—empathy, trustworthiness, attention to detail. There’s a better way. Please reach out to me if you’re struggling. If you had a full staff, what would that mean for your business? Your business isn’t meant to suffocate you—it’s meant to give you freedom: freedom to rest, travel, care for loved ones, and live. You have to fix hiring to get that freedom. My mastermind members spent 2020 smoothing out systems. They’re not complaining—they’re collaborating. You need to hang out with people who are making it happen fast. A new hire could mean $20,000 in revenue. JazzHR costs about $120 a month—it’s worth it. I want you to experience freedom. You need a hiring system that runs smoothly, not one that traps you in emails and Indeed chaos. Automation is the way forward. It’s hard because it forces you to define what you want—but it pays off. You need to test people before hiring. You need to keep training, meeting, and investing in them to keep them engaged.