Install robots and apply for voluntary health insurance: HR specialists mentioned ways to address staff shortages at collection points

What happens to the staff at the collection points?

• In September, Forbes reported that collection points in Russia began to close due to staff shortages. Rates per shift have increased to 5 thousand rubles, but there are still few people willing. Among the reasons, the publication’s experts mentioned a military operation and the Covid pandemic.
• The staff shortage in Russia in general was confirmed by the Bank of Russia. The provision of personnel by Russian companies in the second quarter of 2024 fell to a historic low (minus 30.8 points), according to the published report “Business Monitoring” prepared by the Central Bank.

As Elena Limonova, development director of the personnel agency “Staff-AP”, expert on the labor market of MGO “Supports of Russia”, told RB.RU, the shortage of personnel for collection points is also due to the low attractiveness of this work and the seasonal nature of the demand for labor. The staff shortage is reflected in the operational performance of companies.

SberReshenii HR Director Margarita Bogdanova-Shemraeva says that finding employees for collection points has become a serious challenge for companies.

The search situation is complicated by the particularities of the job: these employees must be multitasking, endure high stress in communicating with clients and be responsible, because they work with material goods, the specialist added.

“It is often these candidates who choose more stable and comfortable working conditions in other sectors,” says the expert.

How to deal with staff shortages at collection points

Limonova believes that the following methods can be used to solve the staff shortage at collection points:

• use online recruiting and social media when hiring;
• train existing employees to increase professionalism and interest;
• introduce social benefits for employees of collection points;
• Expand the network of collection points to reduce the burden on existing employees.

Bogdanova-Shemrayeva suggests paying attention to the peculiarities of working with employees of different age categories. For example, for employees over 55 years old, it is important to create stable working conditions, offer flexible schedules and high-quality voluntary health insurance, and for young professionals over 16 years old, training and professional development programs are appropriate , which may supposedly interest them in a long-term job.

Another option is the introduction of automation and artificial intelligence.

“Robots and automated systems can take over routine operations, such as receiving and sorting goods. This not only increases efficiency, but also reduces the burden on employees, allowing them to focus on more complex and creative tasks,” says the expert.

According to Bogdanova-Shemrayeva, it is also important to create a feeling of care among staff.

“Mental health support programs, flexible schedules and opportunities for professional and personal development – all this helps to retain staff, even if the work is associated with a high level of stress,” the expert concluded.