Federal employers upbeat on staffing issues
With labor shortages making headlines nationwide and in Oak Ridge, federal employers are reacting positively for the most part.
Kathryn King, who works in communications for Y-12 National Security Complex, acknowledged the issues with competition for workers, but was positive about Y-12 contractor Consolidated Nuclear Security's ability to hire employees.
"Like most companies, Y-12 is experiencing a competitive job market where top talent is in demand. However, Consolidated Nuclear Security was able to surpass its hiring goal in FY (Fiscal Year) 2021 due to innovative efforts by human resources, recruiters, hiring managers and financial analysts and hired more than 850 employees," King told The Oak Ridger.
"Some of this success resulted from a proactive approach to identifying staffing needs that began in 2019," she said.
King said the pandemic prevented CNS from using some of its past methods such as in-person job fairs, so recruiting efforts moved to a virtual environment. Recruiters have turned to using the Y-12 website, virtual job fairs and other recruiting tools, including LinkedIn and Indeed, she said.
Similarly, Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Morgan McCorkle said ORNL had added employees over the past two years, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"To meet the demands of the lab’s growing scientific portfolio, we have hired over 1,200 new scientists, engineers and support staff in the past two years. Today the lab has more than 5,800 employees representing over 60 nations, and we plan to hire up to 1,000 new employees over the coming year," she said.
McCorkle said this expansion is due to increased funding. Over the past few years, she said, ORNL has seen "significant growth" in its scientific mission, and funding levels have increased to $2.4 billion.
Both McCorkle and King spoke positively about workplace conditions and environment.
"In order to attract and retain diverse talented employees, ORNL offers a total rewards package that includes competitive salaries, a pension plan, a 401K plan, excellent health care (with vision and dental) plans, tuition assistance, professional development programs, bonuses, employee discounts and onsite amenities such as a primary care clinic," McCorkle said. "Because ORNL is a well-regarded, leading scientific institution that provides competitive total rewards and a personally fulfilling mission to employees, we have had tremendous success in attracting and retaining top diverse talent from East Tennessee, across the country and around the world."
"Y-12 is a great place to work with an important national security mission. Our employees aren’t just team member — they become part of the Y-12 family. We also invest in our employees through educational assistance, work-life balance, teleworking, and flexible schedules," King said.
UCOR, a cleanup contractor for the federal facilities, also shared some thoughts.
A company spokesperson, who asked to not be identified, said the company had identified some issues, even before the pandemic.
"Much of our workforce is approaching retirement age. Additionally, there has been increased competition for human resources from other contractors across the Oak Ridge Reservation, as well as the Tennessee Valley Authority and other private development needs around the region," the spokesperson stated.
To address the challenges, UCOR has been partnering with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) such as Tennessee State University and Benedict College "to increase our diversity, equity and inclusion outreach," the spokesperson stated. The company is also establishing a nuclear decommissioning minor at the University of Tennessee Nuclear Engineering Department, annually hiring summer interns from colleges across the U.S., annually hosting a senior design team for the University of Tennessee Engineering Department and partnering with Roane State Community College with apprenticeship programs in Chemical Engineering Technology and Environmental Health Technology.
"UCOR has not experienced any workforce shortages or difficulty finding or retaining personnel resources to support our work," the spokesperson stated. "During the pandemic, we maximized telework from March 2020 through November 2021 to keep our workforce safe and healthy by promoting social distancing and have had no workplace transmissions. In November, we began a hybrid program for our teleworkers, bringing them back onsite for two days each week."
The spokesperson also stated labor and management continue to work cooperatively, and no changes have occurred in relations with UCOR's union.
Ben Pounds is a staff reporter for The Oak Ridger. Call him at (865) 441-2317, follow him on Twitter @Bpoundsjournal and email him at bpounds@oakridger.com.
This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Oak Ridge federal employers upbeat on staffing issues
