The COVID-19 pandemic sparked a shortage in workers across the U.S. Amid those impacted from the national worker shortage is Taylor University’s facilities team.
This shortage was prevalent in Indiana and on Taylor’s campus starting in 2020.
Although many areas on campus have found themselves short-staffed, the facilities team at Taylor is one group that has particularly struggled to find people to hire. Open positions have been posted like normal, yet applications have not been consistent.
Ron Sutherland, special assistant to the president, oversees maintenance facilities at Taylor.
“In facilities, we have seen fewer applicants for positions,” Sutherland said.
Housekeeping, maintenance and groundskeepers have been hard at work in an attempt to combat this problem, but it is still difficult to complete everything that needs to be done with numerous positions left open.
In response to the worker shortage, Taylor’s facilities team has adjusted work flows and changed hours around for current workers. Sutherland says staff members are hard at work, picking up extra hours and adding to their workload in order to ensure that they are still giving their best effort to the Taylor community.
Several maintenance team workers have shifted their duties and expanded the work they do to achieve what needs to get done. Although it has been difficult, Sutherland says they are committed to doing the best they can with what they are given.
In recent weeks, the weather has also had a large impact on the maintenance team.
The snowstorm that hit Indiana the night of Feb. 2 caused some workers to have to change their hours and work overtime. Taylor’s groundskeepers worked hard to prepare the roads and make them as safe as possible for students and staff.
In an attempt to clear the roads and parking lots, the groundskeepers were on campus by 4 a.m. multiple days in a row.
Even with incoming snow, freezing temperatures and working in the dark, maintenance workers showed up and did their best to keep the Taylor community as safe as possible.
“I’m really proud of our groundskeepers for all of the work they’ve done over the past couple of weeks with the snowstorm,” Sutherland said.
The maintenance team is committed to continue giving quality service to Taylor University students and faculty.
Although they are serving the community well, this hasn’t come without struggle.
With fewer people on the job, it has been difficult for the maintenance workers to get ahead on their duties or find time for extra repairs.
With that said, maintenance workers are determined to be as efficient as possible and get their job done as quickly as they can.
Anyone who is interested in finding a job with the Taylor facilities team should visit Indeed.com to apply. Open positions include a part-time housekeeper and a full-time maintenance technician who has experience in the field.
For further information about how to apply to join the Taylor facilities team, contact rnsutherl@tayloru.edu.
