There are an amazing number of statistics being passed around (this is after all an election year) and they sometimes contradict each other. Economists repeatedly state (McKinsey Global Institute Study, June 2011) that in order to return to pre-recession levels by 2020 we need to create 21 million jobs.
On the other hand, the group “Skills for America’s Future” claims that there are 3 million jobs currently open and unfilled due to skill gaps. Fifty-two percent of employers with job openings claim they can’t find qualified applicants. What if we just create more jobs we can’t fill?
An article in the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) news presents a lot of statistics, and also ways that HR Professionals and others are trying to help bridge that gap. There seems to be three areas where companies and applicants need updating.
First – companies may be setting requirements for jobs that are not only unnecessarily stringent, they are unrealistic. To address this, HR folks and upper managers are taking a closer look at the job descriptions they develop. Admittedly, as I mentioned in the article addressing skill gaps for job seekers (Can Employers Find the Right Skill Set…?), companies are adding technology to increase efficiency in their organization. This inherently requires a worker with higher tech skills. The HR manager may be able to find quality applicants without the specific skill set, but with a background in the industry and an obvious ability and willingness to train for the new job. Example – McDonald’s food chain developed a language skills training curriculum for new hires so they are able to better communicate with customers! I have had discussions with local companies about this very topic – and made the suggestion that they may need to develop some training, and then can hire an experienced employee and bring them up to speed.
Second – Training skills aren’t always in every manager’s portfolio. However, when there are 14 million people looking for work, and many of them experienced employees, it is worth spending some time to “train the Trainers” to keep up with the hiring needs of the employer. In some cases local community colleges or professional societies such as SHRM are providing instruction in how to develop a training program and deliver it to new hires. Hiring employers will need to recognize that there will be a little extra effort involved to get a new hire on the job and being productive.
Third – The job seeker needs to take the initiative to GET the needed training. Again, local community colleges and universities are working with local companies to develop training programs that meet the needs of the new job market. Local employment agencies and job postings can provide that information. For the job seeker – let a prospective employer know that you are getting some training to meet the job requirements they list, and ask for feedback. That may give you a head start in actually getting the position.
As always, good luck.
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