park rapids enterprise | Wednesday, March 30, 2022
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2022 PROGRESS
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2022
PROGRESS Take this job and love it
Local voices offer hints for moving past the Great Resignation By Robin Fish Park Rapids Enterprise “Locally, we’re finding that there’s help wanted signs everywhere,” said Mary Thompson. In January, Thompson spoke at the Park Rapids Downtown Business Association’s annual meeting about the Great Resignation. The executive director of the Heartland Lakes Development Commission told the PRDBA about a phenomenon that has been affecting businesses nationwide since the COVID-19 pandemic began, making it difficult to retain and recruit employees. “I think there’s a couple things,” Thompson said in an interview in February. “We’ve been seeing, or expecting, that the Baby Boomers were gonna start retiring through this period of time, so we were expecting that there would be a lot of workers leaving the workforce anyway. I think the pandemic sped it up a lot, and that a lot of early retirees just said, ‘I don’t want to do this anymore.’” Besides this, she said, many younger workers struggle with finding daycare when their children are out of school, and some don’t feel safe in the workplace due
to the risk of catching COVID-19. “It’s really been a lot more difficult to attract workers to the jobs that are available,” said Thompson. “Employers have to be a lot more creative about finding ways to attract workers, and a lot more willing to look at things besides just pay. Because it’s not just pay anymore.” It’s flexibility, she said. It’s autonomy. It’s opportunities for advancement that are becoming more important when workers have a choice to stay put or move forward with a new job. On the local level, Thompson called on the business community to recognize that “we can’t bring in enough workers to take the jobs that we have, much less any more that we want to grow. And even if we could, we don’t have enough housing to take care of that.”
Robin Fish / Park Rapids Enterprise
Executive Director Mary Thompson had her 5-month-old Havanese-rat terrier mix puppy, Finley, with her Feb. 1 at the Heartland Lakes Development Commission office, an example of a type of flexible employment she said workers are looking for.
place,” she added. “Now, I don’t think any employer is trying to mistreat their employees, or that employees are thinking that they’re entitled. They’re just tired and Tired and shellshell-shocked.” shocked Workers have become Thompson contrasted burned out, Thompthe current job market, son said, and that puts which favors the inter- employers in a no-win ests of workers, with the situation. “If you don’t era of the 1950s and 60s have people show up, when “the employer was there’s not a lot you can the ruler.” do except lean on the “And that’s why labor ones that are there,” she unions came in the first said, noting that some
employers have relaxed their attendance expectations to where someone can be a no-show today and still have a job tomorrow. “What they’re finding is that that really has a negative impact, because the really good employees who show up every single day are saying, ‘How does that work?’ They don’t mind working the overtime if the folks who are not as committed have a consequence,” she said.
No going back
“It’s not gonna return to what it was, when there was just an abundance of employees and there were more employees per job,” said Evie Fowler. “It’s kind of the other way around now. We’ve got all these jobs and no employees.” Fowler is the Career Force team leader with Rural Minnesota Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. (RMCEP) of Hubbard, Wadena and
Todd counties, based in Wadena. Fowler said there are even more factors in play, from the workers’ perspective, than general burnout with the way things were. Variables include “the extra unemployment pay, incentive checks to stay home, the fear of COVID, being sick,” she said. “I think there is some of that still out there,
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Entrepreneur center called ‘The Hangar’ opens Lorie Skarpness Park Rapids Enterprise
Shannon Geisen / Enterprise
The Hangar is located at 100 8th St. E. on Hwy. 71, north of the Park Rapids Fire Hall.
“Hangar has that connotation,” she said. “We want to help entrepreneurs Entrepreneurs and business people take flight. We were thrilled to receive some assistance from the Industries have a new resource in Park Rapids. The Hangar is located at 100 8th St. of Park Rapids, a non-profit that proE. on Hwy. 71, north of the fire hall vides assistance to businesses in the in the gray brick building that was community. Sanford of Bemidji also formerly Seip Pharmacy and the city provided us with a contribution to help liquor store, and will offer 24-hour with the renovation of The Hangar. access to office space and equipment. They believe it’s worthwhile for the “When you talk about entrepre- economic vitality of the community.” neur centers, you want to create a launch-off place where you can get Membership options the groundwork to get to the next The Hangar will serve three groups level,” said Heartland Lakes Developof people. ment Commission (HLDC) Executive THE HANGAR: Page B2 Director Mary Thompson.
Two Loon Candy offers sweet treats in Nevis Tracy and Joe Ganley, who also own Muskie Waters in Nevis. “Muskie Waters moved candy over The oldest building in Nevis was restored and is home to a new busi- to the fully restored, early-1900s ness, Two Loon Candy. building in 2020 to make room for A variety of cheesecakes are social distance regulations during offered, along with bulk candy, car- COVID,” Tracey said. “With great amel apples, fudge, toys and some support from the community owngift items. ers, we decided to keep the candy The shop is located on the town’s shop at the new location in 2021 and only one-way street, near the named the store Two Loon Candy. post office. Lorie Skarpness Park Rapids Enterprise
Two Loon Candy is owned by
TWO LOON: Page B2
Contributed / Tracy Ganley
Two Loon Candy in Nevis offers a variety of sweet treats, including fresh-baked cheesecake.