Hiring and recruiting continue to be challenging, and co-ops are not immune. While the overall unemployment rate has remained steady at 4.1% over the past year, the exception lies with young adults between the ages of 16 and 19. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, unemployment for this age group grew from 12.3% in June 2024 to 14.4% in June 2025. Many in this group have been referred to as “NEETs,” which stands for “not in employment, education or training.” According to CNBC, many of these individuals are disenfranchised and/or opting out or the labor force, while others are struggling to find positions.

Simply posting an open position and waiting for candidates to apply is insufficient for maintaining a fully staffed operation. Given the ongoing challenges in sourcing applicants, we’ve compiled the following recommendations to help you build your applicant pool.

Internal planning and strategies

• Review your application and interview process to provide the best candidate experience. Studies show that qualified candidates will not spend more than 90 seconds deciding if they are interested in applying for a position, and candidates will abandon an application that is pages long or too complicated to complete in five minutes.
• Identify how many hours/shifts need to be filled so everyone is on the same page. By focusing on hours and shifts, the team has more flexibility in considering a mix of part-time and full-time applicants.
• If a candidate is not a fit for the position they applied for, review the application to determine fit for openings in other departments.
• Offer a referral bonus to employees who help recruit new talent by referring someone for a vacancy. Referral bonuses are typically paid out once the employee is hired and remains at the company for a predetermined amount of time.
• Schedule a job fair or dedicated time for open interviews where staff will be available to conduct interviews with walk-in applicants and make immediate job offers.
• Create a culture of rapid hiring decisions and empower hiring managers with pre-approved wage scales and hiring autonomy.
• Include pay ranges and as much detail about shifts as possible in job postings. Asking for open availability may deter a qualified applicant from applying if they are not available seven days a week.
• Review the pay transparency laws for your city and state. Many states now require that job postings include the starting pay rate or pay range. Some recruiting sites like Indeed are adding pay rates to job post templates.
• Review the Recruiting and Interviewing Resources available on NCG’s website.

Advertising open positions

• Post eye-catching banners, posters or flyers in store to let shoppers know that you are hiring. Templates for hiring posters are available in NCG’s Marketing Materials Catalog.
• Utilize the Columinate Job Board — NCG is sponsoring access to the Columinate Job Board, which has been upgraded so jobs are pushed automatically to Indeed and ZipRecruiter. For free job postings, visit the Columinate Job Board and use the coupon code on the payment form: NCGMEM2023_83P4X.
• Consider additional websites for job postings, like Craigslist.
• Post openings on the co-op’s social media platforms and website.
  • Boosted ads on social media keep these ads in a more prominent position.
  • Utilize a “now hiring” homepage banner on co-op’s website.
• Include openings in email newsletters or create an email specifically addressing openings.
• Advertise at nearby bus stops or on buses. Reach out to local transit regarding advertising opportunities.
• Reach out to community centers serving underrepresented populations (e.g., refugee centers, shelters for domestic violence survivors, community centers or organizations offering English for speakers of other languages).
• Utilize the local unemployment office with work force job postings.
• Partner with local universities — post on their job boards and attend job fairs.
• Language matters in advertising jobs. Be sure the job posting is an accurate reflection of the co-op and the position. Review tips for writing job posts in the Equitable Job Posts article from Good Food Jobs.
• Check out the “Creative Ideas for Hiring” thread on the HR Discussion Forum for additional recruiting tips from co-op HR managers.

Additional tactics specific to prepared foods

• Post positions on www.goodfoodjobs.com.
• Reach out to culinary schools. This is a long-term partnership, as culinary schools are always bringing in new students. Greater preference will be given to companies that are in continual contact.

Co-ops actively seeking candidates are seeing success with staffing. These tips are designed to provide inspiration but is not exhaustive. Join us on the NCG Discussion Forum to share additional tactics that have been successful at your co-op when sourcing applicants. Contact NCG HR Advisory Services Manager Dawn Sheridan with questions and for additional resources.