Companies desperate for workers offer signing bonuses

It's another sign of just how hard it is for many businesses to find good help these days. Companies are offering lucrative signing bonuses — in many cases upwards of a thousand dollars — for new hires.

Next Dimension Construction & Roofing in Winter Park is struggling to bring on four sales representatives.

"We have found it extremely difficult to fill those positions. We've been looking for an excess of three months to fill four positions," says manager Adam Holodick.

Holodick says he's never seen a hiring situation like this where people will apply for the job… "and then fail to take my call, or take my call and not set an interview. Those that transition to setting the interview, I'll say 80% of candidates don't even show up," Holodick said.

Next Dimension is offering signing bonuses of a thousand dollars for new hires. This, for a sales job that will pay between $70,000 and $90,000 a year — and they provide all the training.

"It's just an incentive to please come in," Holodick said. "We want to talk to you."

A scroll through job websites like Indeed.com shows dozens of companies offering signing bonuses.

Longwood window company Green Energy is another.

Manager Ashley Christian says several sales and administrative jobs there offer potential six-figure salaries and have been open for more than a month.

"I will go through 20 applicants a day sometimes," she said. "Only two of them show. From there, they're not very qualified or they're not willing to bet on themselves and you have to start over the next day, so that can be quite frustrating."

Green Energy is offering $2,500 dollar signing bonuses.  

"This is a good opportunity to create your own paycheck and see what you're capable of," Christain said, "and learn many different skills that will help you in this workplace and elsewhere."

It's not just administrative and sales jobs offering these perks. Many jobs in medical offices, auto repair shops and heavy industry are also giving out cash to new hires.