Bustling with tourists year-round, Queenstown is vibrant when it’s quiet and hectic when it’s not. Our picturesque yet lively mountain resort town fuels an economy growing in strength and reputation every year but some business owners and managers are pushed to keep up. Staffing is becoming more difficult, as skill and labour shortages hinder the progress of the region.
While many seek to live and work where lifestyle meets luxury, rising rent and living costs continue to challenge the current workforce, and potential employees looking to relocate are put off by unaffordability. Opportunities to hire international staff offer a potential welcome respite, although visas are not without complication themselves, thus local businesses need to consider a range of solutions.
Retaining staff
One of the answers lies in staff retention. Staff retention involves creating a positive workplace and employment environment that is attractive to employees and conducive to keeping staff interested in staying with the business, year after year.
The Queenstown Chamber of Commerce is committed to helping reduce the labour and skill shortages in Queenstown Lakes, and encourages staff retention as a means for business owners and managers to take matters into their own hands and improve their chance of succeeding in challenging times.
As a small business owner, improving your human resource skills can not only help you to manage staffing more efficiently, but it will also contribute to reducing labour and skill shortages overall in the Queenstown Lakes economy.
Employee lifecycle tool
If you’re a business owner or manager in the Queenstown region, the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce has commissioned a self-analysis HR learning activity specifically to help local businesses strive to improve their human resources. The tool, developed by Human Connections Group and funded by the Queenstown Lakes District Council, offers valuable insight into a business’s current strategy and behaviour and provides action points to make valuable and effective improvements to human resource management.
The goal of the self analysis tool is for business owners and managers to perform a structured self-analysis of their employment strategy and consider their behaviour with regard to:
- Employer brand – why are potential employees attracted to your business?
- Candidate brand – how are potential employees attracted to your business?
- Managing employees – induction process and communication
- Staff retention – what factors keep people with you?
- Compliance – what are your current processes for keeping staff contract records and complying with employment law?
- Staffing for the future – what are your employment needs for the coming year?
- Role specific factors – what will it take to attract specific people to specific roles?
After completing the self analysis, the learner will summarise their self-assessment and write five action points to improve the attraction and retention strategies in their business.
Where to go for help
If you need help completing the activity or are looking for support for the new action steps you have come up with, consider reaching out to professionals from the following categories for further assistance:
- Industry Representatives (e.g. Hospitality Association, Master Plumbers etc)
- Independent HR & Recruitment Providers (e.g. Human Connections Group Ltd)
- Human Resources Planning (e.g. Human Connections Group Ltd)
- On the job training (e.g. ServiceIQ)
- Professional Business Planning Advice (e.g. Accountants, Lawyers)
- Contact us
