Traverse City's Jobs Problem: Too Many

There’s a jobs problem in northern Michigan: There are too many open ones.

In the local hospitality industry, it’s become a spring ritual; hotels and resorts ramp-up their hiring in April, and discover by May that they’ll have to get very creative to fill all their openings for a busy tourist season.

The Homestead, Grand Traverse Resort, Great Wolf Lodge and others often reach for overseas workers. Cambria Suites and Best Western chose a few years ago to offer all line employees healthcare and dental coverage in an attempt to attract and retain more.

But this year’s hiring season troubles apparently reach well beyond the hospitality sector.

James Tisdel, employed by the Michigan Economic Development Corportation and responsible for spreading the word about open jobs and training throughout the ten county northern Michigan region, says employers' problems finding qualified employees has reached critical proportions across several industries here.

According to data provided by Tisdel, there are 1,292 jobs open in Grand Traverse County, with healthcare and hospitality accounting for most of them. He adds that many education and manufacturing jobs are also open, many of which have been for six months or longer.

“The biggest thing we hear back from companies looking to hire is that individuals they talk to lack the soft skills like being able to work with a team, appropriate communication and problem solving,” Tisdel tells The Ticker. “Employers will tell us, ‘If I find somebody with good soft skills, I can teach the hard skills through training.’”

Janie McNabb, who leads the Traverse City office of Michigan Works!, points to three dynamics in play this hiring season:

- It’s a “buyer’s market.” Unlike the high unemployment days of the past several years, job seekers are in control now. The past year alone has seen unemployment in Grand Traverse County drop from 8.8 percent a year ago to 7.9 percent today.

- Employers must do a better job marketing jobs. McNabb says “Many employers are using job descriptions that list simply list the skills needed - just the requirements of the job… these job postings are not specific enough.” She adds that potential employees either don’t understand the job description, do not believe they’re qualified, or the description just doesn’t “sparkle,” noting benefits like mobility, regular wage increases, or tuition reimbursement.

- Part-time positions are taking a back seat to full-time jobs. “Because these jobs [in retail and hospitality] are seasonal and require employees to be available on busy weekends, these positions are not as attractive,” McNabb says. The job seekers are taking full-time, year-round positions instead.

McNabb praises some local businesses for their hiring creativity. Bella Fortuna restaurant in Lake Leelanau is exploring “employee sharing” with neighboring businesses, and also offers loyalty bonuses to staff members who stay for the entire summer season.

At Grand Traverse Resort & Spa, Director of Human Resources Matthew McClellan says, “The employment market is tough and competitive right now, so we have to look at different avenues to recruit. We still use the standard methods…but we've also expanded into more marketing efforts by attending career fairs across the state and locally, as well as hosting our own job fair.”