The Tribune

By IAN FERGUSON

As The Bahamas continues to experience a persistent shortage of skilled labour, local businesses are being pushed to rethink how they recruit, retain and manage talent. While demographic pressures and the global competition for workers will not ease any time soon, there are practical strategies employers can adopt now to strengthen their workforce and remain competitive.

One of the most immediate steps companies can take is outsourcing non-core tasks. Many Bahamian businesses - especially small and medium-sized enterprises - spend a significant time on functions such as bookkeeping, human resources, marketing or customer service. Outsourcing these tasks to specialised firms allows companies to scale as needed without the cost of hiring full-time staff. It also frees existing teams to focus on higher-value responsibilities.

Alongside outsourcing, automation and artificial intelligence (AI) can help fill critical gaps. While technology is not a full replacement for skilled workers, it can reduce workloads by handling routine processes such as invoicing, document scanning and even basic content creation. As global industries adopt AI-assisted tools for lesson planning, proposal drafting and order processing, Bahamian employers can leverage the same technologies to stretch the capacity of their existing workforce.

Addressing the labour shortage also requires investing in people already on the job. Local employers can significantly improve retention by supporting each worker’s career journey. This includes identifying employee goals early and offering certifications, short upskilling modules or on-demand training opportunities. Workers who see a future with their company tend to remain longer and perform better.

In addition, companies should provide clear advance pathways, even when promotions are not immediately available. Transparent conversations about long-term growth, combined with training for future roles, signal a commitment to employees and build loyalty. Pairing these efforts with consistent recognition of top performers - whether through ‘thank you’ notes, gift cards or employee-of-the-month programmes - can strengthen morale at a relatively low cost.

Recruitment practices must also evolve. Bahamian businesses can widen their applicant pools by streamlining job listings, removing unnecessary requirements and focusing on essential skills. A more flexible mindset helps as well. Employers willing to adjust schedules or offer remote or hybrid options can attract talent such as parents or caregivers, who might otherwise be unable to participate in the workforce.

Creativity in job structuring presents additional opportunities. By fractionalising jobs, meaning breaking roles into smaller tasks, companies can assign low-skill duties to lower-cost workers or outsource them altogether, allowing highly skilled staff to focus on specialised functions. Stretch assignments also help employees grow while providing companies with a low-cost development tool proven to drive performance in fast-growth industries.

Finally, while not always feasible, competitive compensation remains a powerful draw in a tight labour market, especially for key roles tied to innovation or leadership.

The skilled labour shortage is not a temporary challenge for The Bahamas, but by combining technology, thoughtful talent development and creative job design, businesses can strengthen their workforce and position themselves for sustainable growth.

• NB: Ian R Ferguson is a talent management and organisational development consultant, having completed graduate studies with regional and international universities. He has served organisations, both locally and globally, providing relevant solutions to their business growth and development issues. He may be contacted at tcconsultants@coralwave.com.