Businesses provide mixed outlook on hiring this summer

Roughly 30 businesses participated in the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce’s annual job fair March 30, and after a summer of struggling to fill open positions in 2021, representatives from a variety of businesses are reporting a larger applicant pool and more interest from potential employees in 2022.

Dean Shuttleworth, owner of the three Thrasher’s French Fries stores in downtown Rehoboth Beach, said it’s still a little too early to tell how hiring will go for the summer, but he has had some more applications this year from local high school students.

Additionally, he said, he’s expecting some relief with the return of J-1 visa students. This year, he’s expecting 12 to 15 J-1 visa students, which is double last year’s total.

“We got zero the year before that,” he said, adding that he’s still looking for at least another 25 employees for the summer.

Shuttleworth hasn’t been able to open the stand on the south side of Rehoboth Avenue because he couldn’t find the staff. He said he probably could have opened that location, but it wasn’t worth working his limited staff to the bone.

“We’re hoping to change that this year, but I still don’t want to overwork my employees,” said Shuttleworth. “Also, I don’t want to jeopardize the product. I’ve worked too long and hard to build our reputation.”

Reinie Thompson, Hotel Rehoboth general manager, said it’s nice to be back to accepting applications and conducting interviews in person. Last year, applicants would fill out the paperwork online and then not show up at all, she said.

Thompson said the hotel is expecting this summer to be busy in the Cape Region.

“Our reservations are looking extremely strong,” she said.

Sean Chasteen, senior manager at Outback Steakhouse in Rehoboth, said this year’s push to find employees is going much easier. He said they’re looking for six or seven employees for the front end of the restaurant and another five or six for the kitchen.

Last year, said Chasteen, people would apply, get the job and then not show up or work for one day. This year, it’s still not going as well as before COVID, but it is going better, he said.

Most of the businesses were on hand to hire for seasonal vacancies, but some were there to hire for full-time positions needed to fill growing demand.

Ricky Hernandez, operations manager for Activ Pest Solutions, said he was looking to hire at least two technicians. There’s a growing need with all the new developments coming in, especially as bug season begins to ramp up, he said.

“If a technician makes 1,000 stops in a typical month, it increases to 1,400 stops as we start to spray for ticks, mosquitos, flies, ants and other insects,” said Hernandez. “It ramps up very quickly.”

While some businesses are having luck filling the void, not everyone is.

For example, the Indian River Marina is having trouble finding seasonal laborers.

Theresa Mosier, Indian River Marina park superintendent, said this time last year they already had 15 people hired. Now, she said, they still need to fill 17 positions.

Mosier said if the marina doesn’t fill the positions, they’ll make do like they have the past couple of years.

“Everyone’s already-heavy workload will get heavier,” she said.

It’s not just seasonal employers having trouble finding employees.

Morgan McKenzie is a recruiter from the Milford branch of Community Integrated Services, a company that provides employment services for the disabled. She said she was looking for nine job coaches, who go to a job site with a disabled employee.

The coaches provide direct support to the employees, who sometimes need help with social skills and other workplace intricacies that typical employees might not need help with, said McKenzie.

McKenzie reported a slow turnout, but she said she did take a few applications, and they’re always hiring.

Dressed in button-down shirt and tie, Jose Figueroa of Harrington was one of the attendees looking for a job. He said he had been in the casino business for more than a decade and was looking for something different to do.

“I’m just at a point in my life where I want to do something different,” said Figueroa, in between tables. “I haven’t talked with all the different businesses, but it looks good.”