Qualified workers are hard to fi nd

Central Ohio’s familyowned businesses are bullish on the local economy, and most say they’re planning to hire additional staff this year.

The problem they face is the one they have struggled with the past several years: finding qualified workers, according to the seventh annual survey by the Conway Center for Family Business.

Nearly all of the 84 familyowned businesses surveyed offered a positive view of the central Ohio economy, with 57.5 percent saying it was “very good,” the highest rating allowed by the survey.

Last year, 32 percent of those surveyed gave the local economy that rating.

Their outlook for the national economy was viewed as strong, too.

“They’re super-excited about the U.S., Ohio and central Ohio economy,” said Jill Hofmans, the center’s managing director.

The strong outlook means 69 percent of those surveyed say they will be hiring this year, about the same as in 2017.

Half of those surveyed said finding qualified workers was their most significant challenge in 2018, while 22 percent identified competition and 22 percent listed other challenges.

Finding qualified workers has been a top concern for the past four years in the survey.

When asked about their top hiring challenges, 49 percent said finding qualified workers and 18 percent said finding workers to fit in the company culture.

“The labor market is super tight and very competitive,” Hofmans said.

Family-owned businesses in skilled trades such as construction and heating and cooling are among the businesses having a hard time finding workers, she said. Companies also are having difficulty finding applicants who can pass drug tests, she said.

Companies are trying new ways to recruit staff, and the center said it is doing more to make resources, educational programs and experts available to these businesses.

The center notes that finding workers at familyowned businesses can be more challenging because they want not only skills, but people who embody the culture and values of that company.

Hofmans said owners are expressing more interest in using assessments to evaluate applicants and are more likely to use consultants to help.

Owners of family businesses, especially smaller businesses, have to have their hands in so many different parts of the operation that it can be hard to be an expert at everything, she said.

“Family leaders wear so many different hats,” Hofmans said. “They aren’t good at everything.”

For the first time in recent years, healthcare did not make the list of significant challenges.

Hofmans said it isn’t clear why healthcare has fallen as a significant issue and noted that companies don’t seem to be complaining as much as they have been in the past about the issue.