As I’ve been writing and speaking about for the past couple of years, small and midsize businesses are facing a talent crisis. There’s simply not enough great talent available that is both willing and eager to work in an engaged, committed fashion. This kind of dedicated talent, the ones who want to contribute and grow with your company, is becoming increasingly scarce. This crisis might seem subtle at first—it’s easy to overlook until it starts affecting your business in significant ways. But make no mistake, the talent crisis is here, and it’s impacting businesses in profound ways. 

As a business owner, you’ve likely felt the pinch of the talent crisis. Here’s how to recognize it: 

Symptoms of the Talent Crisis

(How many are you currently experiencing?): 

• Overworked Team Members: Are your employees putting in extra hours to cover unfilled roles? 
• Poor Performers: Are you keeping underperforming employees because replacing them seems even harder? 
• Prolonged Hiring Times: Does it feel like it takes forever to find the right candidate? 
• Cultural Mismatches: Are you settling for candidates who don’t fit your company culture or share your core values? 

Understanding America’s Labor Shortage 

Despite America’s 9.5 million job openings, there are only 6.5 million unemployed workers available to fill them. Contributing factors to this shortage include early retirements, declining labor force participation rates, and shifts in employment demographics. While job openings have surged, the decrease in unemployment has been gradual, widening the gap between supply and demand in the labor market. 

The prolonged hiring process isn’t helping the talent crisis we are in. On average, it takes businesses in the US 44 days to fill open positions, increasing recruitment costs and disrupting workflow. Talent is also more expensive to hire than ever. Although salaries have generally increased in the United States, 55% of professionals believe they are underpaid. This significantly limits small and mid-sized businesses’ ability to attract top-tier talent. 

The Crushing Effects of the Talent Crisis 

Given demographic shifts, like the retirement of baby boomers, this issue isn’t going away soon. Here’s what you may experience if you don’t take action.  

1. Disengaged Top Performers 

Your top employees are either leaving the company or losing motivation. When these key players become disengaged, it can lead to a decrease in quality of work, reduced team cohesion, and ultimately, a decline in overall company performance. 

2. Declining Customer Experience 

As your team struggles to keep up with demands, the quality of service provided to customers begins to deteriorate. This can manifest in longer response times, less personalized interactions, and an overall decline in customer satisfaction. When customers feel neglected or dissatisfied, it can lead to negative reviews, loss of repeat business, and damage to the company’s reputation. 

3. Slowing Sales Growth 

The talent crisis can significantly slow sales growth as poor customer service erodes trust and pushes customers toward competitors, leading to negative word-of-mouth that deters potential new clients. Disengaged employees often miss upsell opportunities, and deteriorating service can increase customer churn, making new customer acquisition more costly. Over time, these issues can damage your brand’s image, making it harder to attract both customers and top talent, which is crucial for maintaining a strong market presence. 

4. Margin Declines 

As your team struggles to meet demands, the impact on sales growth becomes evident. Customers facing repeated service issues may turn to competitors, eroding trust and spreading negative word-of-mouth. Additionally, disengaged staff miss crucial upselling opportunities, directly stunting revenue growth. Over time, these issues can tarnish your brand’s reputation, making it harder to attract new customers and quality talent, essential for maintaining a competitive edge in the market. 

5. Reduced Enterprise Value 

If you’re planning an exit or sale of the business, a decline in the company’s performance can affect its valuation. Potential buyers look for thriving businesses with strong teams, healthy margins, and a solid growth trajectory. As your business struggles with disengaged employees, declining customer experience, slowing sales growth, and shrinking margins, its overall value decreases, potentially delaying your exit strategy and lowering the expected sale price. 

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s time to take action. Learn how to navigate and overcome these challenges in my upcoming webinar on “The Updated Playbook for Today’s Workforce.” [Join the Webinar Here] 

Don’t let the talent crisis crush your business and dreams. Take the first step towards a more resilient future.