I am a supervisor and have been with my company for 8 months and I have 15 years experience in my field. There are 3 supervisor positions, with 1 being vacant for 5 months.
A month ago the my boss let me know I was getting a 5% raise, but only because all of my direct reports got a 5% raise and not giving me a raise would have put me lower than my direct reports for pay.
Today a contractor, my boss, and myself were standing in the server room when the contractor complained about the number of openings at his company and how nobody wants to work. My boss quickly agreed, telling him about all of the higher-end positions open at our company. I asked them if they were joking, which they said they weren't. I told them they could fill the jobs quickly but increasing the wages.
The contractor starting bitching about how he can't even go on vacation because he had to work the whole time or be swamped when he comes back, and that he doesn't even want to work there. I tried to explain that he was answering his own question. People are tired of being expected to be working 24/7. Just because you have a company phone or email shouldn't mean you are always working.
My boss then suggested the contractor work for us, which he immediately declined because he said he knew our company too well. So the 15 vacant jobs have nothing to do with low wages or the terrible reputation, it's only because nobody wants to work, right? Oh, and they both brought up the extra money people made on unemployment and suggested that might still be a factor….