MAY 1-7, 2023 SPRINGFIELD BUSINESS JOURNAL · 7 NEWS Celebrate Small Business Week Top SW Missouri SBA 504 Lending Partners for 2023: Contact us: annette@rmiinc.org or call (417) 532-8760 1. The Bank of Missouri 2. Central Bank of the Ozarks 3. Mid-Missouri Bank Current 25-year fixed interest rate: 5.9% by Mike Cullinan · mcullinan@sbj.net A panel discussion about workforce challenges and strategies took center stage April 20 at a scaled-down version of an annual Missouri Job Center event. Panelists at the ninth annual Momentum State of the Workforce event covered topics such as workplace culture, talent attraction and options in the community to find more employees. However, a survey that traditionally has accompanied the program was paused this year due to budgetary constraints, according to Job Center officials. Last year’s survey noted 82% of respondents found difficulty hiring qualified employees over the past year. The workforce panel at this year’s event, which was hosted by the Efactory, spoke about hiring challenges amid today’s tight labor market. Recruit from within For Mark McNay, general manager and senior vice president at SMC Packaging Group, the company’s 540 employees, which includes 380 at its Springfield plant, are its best recruiters. He was joined on the panel by Lee Loveall with Creative Modular Construction LLC, Shelly Phillips of Cardinal Roofing Inc. and Katelyn Lenhart of CoxHealth. “We hope that our benefits, our culture and our code of citizenship help with those recruiting efforts,” McNay said, noting the company provides its employees with free SMC-branded apparel. “We want our name out there as much as we can.” SMC also emphasizes community involvement, he said, noting company leaders are engaged in volunteer roles with civic organizations and nonprofits. “We want to be out there to tell our story but more importantly we want to be out there to listen to the stories of others,” McNay said. Phillips said word-of-mouth is the biggest driver in employee attraction for the roofing company she co-owns. Job site signs and workers wearing Cardinal Roofing clothing draw interest from prospective employees. “A lot of our employees bring in friends,” she said, noting the company, which employs 37, also participates in Build U, a program offered by the Springfield Contractors Association, and Build My Future, a multigroup partnership that promotes the construction industry at an interactive career day. Social media also has been a catalyst for SMC, McNay said, as the company uses it to promote hiring events. “We’ve stepped away from the traditional ‘file an application and come in for an interview,’” he said. “These hiring events are very interactive and very team based. We’ll invite 15 to 20 people from our area. We’ll have them assemble packaging and find out quickly who the leaders are, who the quiet thinkers are that we’d like to be part of our organization.” McNay said it’s part of the need to find creative ways to boost the U.S. labor participation rate, which doesn’t move much from 62%, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate was 62.6% in March. According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the rate hasn’t reached above 63% since 2011. Not just a number At Creative Modular Construction, the workplace is like a family, said Loveall, the company’s CEO. “That’s something you can’t fake. People are smart and they know if they’re just a number. They know if they’re just an employee,” he said. “They understand if you really care about them, care about their family and care about their livelihood. It’s love. Love is what creates an environment of excellence in the workplace.” That’s not to say that work is easy at CMC, TALENT ATTRACTION At left, Mark McNay of SMC Packaging Group speaks on ways his company attracts talent, as panelists Shelly Phillips, Lee Loveall and Katelyn Lenhart listen. MIKE CULLINAN Momentum State of the Workforce panelists note local programs aid search for workers See EVENT on page 28 Companies share hiring challenges, solutions at Job Center event Securities and Advisory services offered through Woodbury Financial Services Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC. James Financial Partners LLC and Woodbury Financial Services Inc. are not affiliated. Experience the JFP Difference Our process is centered around YOU. We strive to go above and beyond with our client interactions; to be their concierge in all financial matters. www.JamesFinancialPartners.com • 417.829.2257 909 E Republic Rd Building F, Suite 200, Springfield, MO 65807
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