Unemployment is still high, however there are millions of openings in the job market. The disconnect between unemployment and available opportunities is popularly attributed to a skills shortage.
This is bad news for employers, who need the best skills and technology to compete in their industry, especially in the global marketplace. Businesses that are proactive in hiring and retaining highly skilled talent will ultimately thrive.
Close Your Skills Gap By
Investing in Current Employees. Current employees are engaged in your culture, are familiar with your history, and know how your organization works. Internal talent is extremely valuable. Investing in their professional growth and training can add exponential value to your company.
Grooming Young Talent.
By tapping into candidates at the college level, you can build a pipeline of talent with the latest skills. Internships, maintaining a presence on college campuses, and mentoring young professionals are a few ways companies can generate talent for the future. However, while preparing for the future is vital, the young workforce may not address the needs you face today.
Flexing Your Requirements.
It can be difficult to pin down candidates with in-demand skills, but if you open up the job requirements, it may be possible to tap into the right candidate. Consider these avenues:
Search for candidates with comparable skills. For example, can you consider investing in the right developer with a background in C to learn PHP?
Look outside your industry. Would being open to the right professional with experience outside of your industry open your candidate pool?
Lower on-the-job experience requirements. Could a less experienced candidate with the right skills learn the ropes and become an asset to your team?
Enlisting a Partner.
Tackling the skills gap can feel like an overwhelming task. When you feel you’ve exhausted all of your options for finding the caliber of talent you need, consider enlisting a staffing partner to close the skills gap. Leave the sourcing and screening details to the experts so that you can access the best talent, and have the right staff for putting your initiatives into motion.
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