The nationwide worker shortage has come to Niwot

Business is anything but "as usual" in Niwot's business district. A nationwide worker shortage has left businesses everywhere struggling to maintain their typical working hours and functionalities, and many of the staple establishments in downtown Niwot have been affected by the shortage as well.

At 1914 House, the worker shortage has affected all levels of employment, but the restaurant has been very fortunate to have had enough staff on hand thus far. Head Chef Justin Hirshfield shared his insight into the new normal, saying, "There have definitely been some close calls - one more person gone and we would have had to close."

Nonetheless, Hirshfield is grateful for the ability to adapt to the times. Restaurants everywhere are looking for help, and he feels that the desire for more workers is true in a majority of industries. The staff at 1914 House has been able to persevere because people have been able to cover shifts in areas not directly in their line of expertise, and while it's not an ideal way of operating, Hirshfield is confident that "if there is hands, we can cover it."

The biggest challenge at 1914 House has been looking for new hires, and Hirshfield commented that it seems more challenging than it used to be. "The hardest part of the hiring process is not only finding people, but finding good people," he said.

Hirschfield noted how the pool of potential employees is noticeably depleted because so many people are rethinking their professions coming out of COVID. "We're trying to fill holes that people leave for whatever reason, and it was challenging to find people to even come in and interview for a little while."

"Chefs are a dying breed," he said."You can put up a help wanted sign and maybe get one or two people, but usually it's just crickets." However, 1914 House has had luck hiring employees fresh out of culinary school who are looking for a place to start their careers and gain experience.

Recognizing the desire for mentorship, Hirshfield has made it a priority to not only cook, but also teach so that younger employees have the opportunity to learn on the job. The lack of seasoned experience has been the restaurant's most significant change in operations as Hirshfield has been working to help employees be more comfortable and confident. His goal is to build a team with people who want to be there, and plans to do that by making sure employees can trust his experience and leadership to sharpen their skills.

Hirshfield is optimistic about the hiring process moving forward, saying, "You never know when the next person is going to come through... the most important thing is finding and keeping good people."

The Niwot Tavern has also gone through some significant ups and downs when it comes to maintaining a consistent schedule. One of the Tavern's owners, Stacy Szydlek, described the difficulties of operating with a depleted staff, saying, "We're running short staffed all the time now."

She noted that most of their new hires are younger than they have been in the past, and she suspects this to be true in the restaurant industry in general. The downside of that employee demographic is that Szydlek now has to prepare for a large number of employees to leave when they return to school in the fall. Anticipating their absence, she is currently looking into using Indeed to advertise for new hires.

The Tavern has also experienced worker shortages due to COVID. Szydlek said, "Once one person on the staff gets it, everybody else gets it too." So far there has only been one occasion in which the Tavern has had to close due to insufficient staffing, which was due to employees having to take sick leave.

"We've always figured it out," Szydlek said, emphasizing that there's only so much one can do when there aren't enough hands on deck. "We're always flying by the seat of our pants, but we'll always be successful."

Niwot Market - both the spiritual and geographical center of the Niwot community - hasn't gone without its fair share of staffing struggles either.

To Seth Steele, head chef at the deli, working at the market is about more than making dough. Many people are drawn to the family atmosphere and supportive network of coworkers that make up the staff.

In this new post-COVID age, workers have been prioritizing the whole health of the work they're doing. Steele finds it especially important to prioritize the wellbeing of each person on the staff, explaining how he has always tried to create an environment that is friendly, flexible, and full of heart.

He said that although the market can't pay the same that similar jobs at more commercial businesses can, "... we see that people who come to work for us after working elsewhere desire a healthy work environment, and even if we can't pay as much, we do care about our employees." Over the past few years there has been a newfound appreciation for people who work in retail and restaurants, and Steele went on to say, "... we have always seen that and appreciated it at the Market because that's what we do everyday ourselves."

The Market is staffed with a solid long-time group of core employees who are in it for the long haul, while newer and more temporary employees cycle through. Steele spoke about the current way of life at the Market, noting how the current number of available jobs combined with a shortage of new hires has made for more frequent employee turnover. For many of the Market's employees, it's hometown pride that draws them to the business, and around 50% of the staff is composed of Niwot residents of varying ages.

While some of these seasonal employees are high school and college students, the most interest in the jobs comes from an older demographic. Steele suspects that the difference in thinking may be generational, saying, "We have a lot of success with older employees... Someone who's 65 isn't surprised by a retail job because that's the world they're from, but if you're used to ordering all of your stuff online, you may not think to work at a grocery store."

In the past, the hiring strategy at the Market has consisted of ads on Craigslist and in local papers. However the Market's most successful form of hiring has come from word of mouth. This is a characteristic unique to small towns and unique to Niwot Market, and it has led to entire families working together.

"This is, for better or worse, a very independent family-owned business," Steele said. "... When you're working with family, you're seeing everyone as your family and it brings the whole staff closer together." It is this quality that has kept Niwot Market open and operating even when times have been tough.

Businesses in downtown Niwot may have struggled, but everyone on the staff at each of these businesses works not only to keep the establishment going through hard times but to also keep the best interests of their employees at heart. Employees have banded together to overcome recent challenges and face new ones head on, and at the end of the day, Steele, Hirshfield, and Szydlek's final message is this: they're hiring!