With the holidays around the corner, a few local businesses in San Luis Obispo are having trouble finding and keeping employees.
Some say it affects the customer experience.
“I had one person just start training, she was amazing and she quit this morning after her first day,” said Sarah Kinnebrew, general manager of Chronic Tacos.
Kinnebrew told KSBY it’s becoming difficult to hire workers, especially when they don’t show up for interviews.
“Students go home for the holidays and it makes them very difficult to keep them around and then whether they are not students, it doesn’t seem like their work ethic is the same as it used to be,” Kinnebrew added.
The Director of Operations at Ambiance, a boutique shop, says there’s been a decline in job interest.
“We’ve struggled a lot with applicants we’re receiving for a variety of reasons, like they are out of state or their applications just don’t match our needs at all,” said Grant Garcia.
He says full-time positions are harder to fill than part-time spots.
“That’s kind of a struggle we have is finding someone to stay at a full-time position and still be in the area without looking for a larger move,” Garcia added.
Working doubles is becoming all too common for some employees.
“We were short-staffed and we did the best that we could, but when people don’t show to work for whatever reason, it leaves us short-handed,” Kinnebrew said. “It makes our customers unhappy and they feel like they are unimportant.”
Some stores are offering additional employee perks in hopes of filling positions before the holiday rush.
Shops like Chronic Taco are asking potential employees to give them a heads up if they are going to cancel an interview or shift. Many stores are looking for commitment during the holiday seasons.
