Help wanted: It’s a job seekers’ market in Bozeman

"Help wanted" signs have become about as common as knapweed
around Bozeman, popping up from Hardee’s to Smith’s Food & Drug
Center supermarket.

By GAIL SCHONTZLER Chronicle Staff Writer

Last Sunday’s Chronicle listed 850 inches of want ads, ranging
from the lowest-paid day-care jobs to openings for architects,
engineers and accountants.

That’s a far cry from 20 years ago, when job openings were
scarce and people with college degrees felt lucky to get hired as
dishwashers.

Thanks to a strong local economy and Gallatin County’s 2 percent
unemployment rate, Bozeman has been a job-seekers’ market for
at least five years, said Dale Siegle, director of the Bozeman Job
Service Workforce Center.

And that only seems to be becoming more true, with Home Depot,
Barnes & Noble Booksellers and other major stores building and
planning to hire hundreds of people, he said. A ripple effect is likely
to be felt throughout Bozeman.

Where are those new employees going to come from? Some will be
retirees or stay-at-home moms just entering or re-entering the
work force. But a lot of them will be people who already have jobs
and are looking for something that pays better or is more
satisfying. When Home Depot opened in Missoula, Siegle said, it
received 4,000 job applications.

"I think it’s becoming increasingly a job-seekers’ market — look at
the development on 19th Street," Siegle said.

Employers may soon be feeling greater pressure to offer better
wages or a more attractive working environment if they’re going to
hire or hang onto employees. The Bozeman Area Chamber of
Commerce sponsored a Workforce 2020 workshop last May to help
employers cope with a challenging labor market, and will hold
another on Oct. 3.

"Because it is such a job-seekers’ market, a lot of (employers)
have to think smarter now," said David Smith, chamber president
and chief executive officer.

Being in a job-seekers’ market means employees have more
choices if they’re unhappy in a current job. Yet many still have
trouble finding good wages, which have been historically low
because of Bozeman’s large pool of college students and because
many people are willing to work for less to live in a beautiful place.

"If you look at the job boards, there’s tons of jobs," said Linda
Bergum, 40, who spent Friday job hunting at the Bozeman Job
Service.

There were 175 job openings listed on the Job Service’s Web site
and another 45 on an informal bulletin board. The sheer number of
listings made Bergum optimistic about landing a job. The problem,
she said, is pay.

Even though experts on the local labor market say most employers
have been forced to pay $1, $2 or even $3 more than the $5.15
federal minimum wage, entry-level jobs hardly pay enough to live
on.

"It’s still below poverty level," Bergum said. "If rent were cheaper
here, it might help."

On the Job Service listings, the lowest-paid jobs were day-care
workers at $6.25 an hour, motel cleaners and preschool teachers
at $6.50 and dishwashers at $7. Some of the highest hourly-pay
jobs were carpenters at $16 and a plumber at $20.

Because of all the college students, some employers tend to think
Bozeman has a lot of "disposable employees," but that’s not so,
Smith said. His message to employers is that turnover may be
more costly than paying a little more in wages.

Most employers think if their receptionist quits, they’re saving a
few hundred bucks while the job is vacant, Smith said. Yet the
chamber figures when it loses a receptionist, it costs as much as
$3,500. A $20-an-hour bookkeeper may be answering the phones,
the membership person isn’t out selling memberships, and
executives will spend hours placing an ad, checking references and
training a new person.

Though many employers think they can’t afford to raise wages
from $7.50 to $8 an hour, it may be a worthwhile tradeoff, Smith
said.

To compete for employees, businesses have to become "creative,"
Smith said. That may mean creating a worker-friendly
environment. Some local companies offer on-site child care or free
pizza Fridays.

Johnny Carino’s Country Italian restaurant’s want ads have been
touting "great hours, free meals and good pay." When it opened in
January, more than 1,000 people applied for 150 openings, said
co-owner Karen Ward. Servers earn $5.15 an hour plus tips, while
cooks make $6.50 to $10, depending on experience. The
restaurant hasn’t had trouble filling vacancies, Ward said. "It’s a
fun place to work."

"Employees want to be part of the team, they want good
communication, and respect — then come benefits and income,"
Smith said.

A Chamber of Commerce survey in January found the No. 1 reason
employers gave for employees quitting was conflict with their
supervisor.

Employers need to become better managers and coaches, and
treat workers differently on an emotional level, Smith said.
Owenhouse Ace Hardware, for example, has kept many of the
same employees for years because it has a reputation as a great
place to work.

Being creative may also mean "alternative hiring" — taking on
senior citizens, legal aliens, National Guard volunteers or people
being released from prison, Smith said.

At least one Bozeman motel has hired legal aliens from Mexico
through an Idaho contractor to do housekeeping, he said.

National Guard soldiers have to train one weekend a month and
take off two weeks from work each year, but Smith said employers
gain someone who’s guaranteed to be drug-free and has a military
work ethic.

A prisoner in a pre-release center has to keep his nose clean and
show up for work or get in trouble with his parole officer, Smith
added. If employees find a job routine and boring, it might be
perfect for a client from Reach Inc., the nonprofit that assists
people with mental disabilities.

Twelve thousand college students will soon be flooding back to
Montana State University and a huge portion of them work. "But
there’s still a greater need than students can fill," Siegle said.

Anyone job hunting can check the Bozeman Job Service Web site
(click on Local Jobs at jsd.dli.state.mt.us/local/bozeman/) or call
its hotline (582-9205), which lists every new job received in the
past three days. MSU students can check with Gary Peterson,
student employment coordinator for the Job Service, who has an
office and a jobs bulletin board in the basement of the Strand
Union Building.

(Also remember Montana Jobs Net for management and technical positions throughout Montana- http://www.montana-jobs.net )

Employers are looking for people with a good attitude, Siegle said.

"They say ‘We’re looking for somebody who’ll come back on Day 2.’
They’re looking for work ethic and some dedication. For the
job-seeker who has that to offer, there are definite options."

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