LEAD New England Continues to Focus on Delivering Quality Skilled Workers During Shifting Employment Patterns

As shifting employment patterns change the way companies hire, train, and pay their workers, LEAD New England has continued to deliver high quality skilled workers to job sites by addressing the changing labor environment head on.

“Our top priority is always going to be delivering the best for our clients, and to do that we have to face some pretty difficult economic realities head on and adapt,” said Dick McLaughlin, LEAD New England Managing Partner.

Shifting Employment Patterns

These shifting patterns stem in part from the continuing effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on labor markets, including a drop in the weekly hours per employee as pay rates increase over the last 12-18 months. Also relevant are the complications that come from workers transitioning in their work life balance, seeking higher pay and more flexible schedules, and a variety of other factors that influence the kind of work people are interested in, and how much of the 40-hour work week (or more) they’re willing to spend on the job.

“We strongly encourage a healthy work life balance in our employees, and we consider our employees personal lives as an integral part of the success of the LEAD New England family,” Dick said, “And the job of a staffing agency is to deliver for the wellbeing of your employees so that they can deliver world class results for our clients.”

LEAD New England Specializes in Placing Electricians

For LEAD New England, which specializes in the electrician sector and provides electricians for all six New England states, these changes have impacted the salaries their workers are expecting, and cut down the number of hours many people are interested in working.

“I have electricians who were satisfied with $25-$28 an hour just two years ago, that now demand $45-$55 an hour but they’ve gone from an average of 38 hours a week to 29hrs,” Dick said, “And this is definitely a situation that requires us to adjust how we approached each project, and the route we’ll take to exceed our client’s expectations. We like the challenge because it allows us to showcase the communication skills and proactive approach we take to staying on top of unforeseen events.”

Another factor in potential employees asking for higher wages is the end of a number of federal and state subsidies that took some of the financial pressure off firms during the pandemic years. What did not end was the expectation for higher wages that the subsidies helped to create, and that now falls squarely on the shoulders of private companies. Inflation is also a factor.

“We’re very aware and ready to deal with the challenges posed by inflation, higher wage expectations, greater desire for a work life balance, and the other issues that affect everyone at the moment, and we’re well positioned to continue providing top quality service through any number of changing scenarios,” Dick said.

LEAD’s Win-Win-Win Philosophy

Dick is speaking from 25 years of experience in a variety of roles in the staffing industry, where he managed at the branch, local, and regional level. Throughout that time he approached his job as a staffing manager as being responsible for creating a win-win-win situation for everyone involved; his business grows, his employees get great jobs and benefits, and his client’s successfully complete their important projects.

“Our win-win-win philosophy is not threatened by difficult times; difficult times prove why our philosophy is successful,” Dick said, “Over the past 25 years I have kept that philosophy in mind as the ultimate purpose of what we’re doing here, and guided my businesses through turbulence based on those ideals.”

Part of win-win-win will undoubtably include more flexible hours and higher pay, but the ultimate goal of all of LEAD New England’s adjustments will continue to be the success of their client’s projects, and the continued excellence of their onboarding process that constitute a major part of the LEAD difference. These “mechanisms of service excellence” include a recruiting strategy based on the specific needs of the client, a rigorous series of verification and screening steps for new hires, a hands-on approach to the job placement process, and continued support with project management throughout the candidates’ time on the job site.

LEAD New England Can Help with Staffing Skilled Trades Workers

LEAD New England regularly fills positions for electricians, journeymen, apprentices, helpers, equipment operators, lulls, skid steers, pile drivers, and hoisting crane operators, as well as office personal direct placement services including accounting AR/AP estimators, project managers, foremen, and field superintendents.

Let’s get to work: reach out to Dick and the LEAD New England Team at 508-801-3755.