HR Insights & Best Practices

Are You Ready for 2020’s Skills Shortages?

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Companies in a wide variety of industries are struggling to find the talent they need. One of the most common difficulties hiring managers encounter is skill shortages, something that is plaguing a range of sectors, including technology, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Since the unemployment rate is low, candidate pools can be fairly small. Plus, skills related to emerging technologies are hard to come by period, as only a tiny fraction of professionals have had opportunities to develop capabilities in those areas.

Luckily, even in the face of a significant skill shortage, companies do have options. If you want to make sure you are ready to deal with them, here are some tips to get you started.

Upskill Top Performers

Often, looking outside of your organization isn’t the simplest way to fill persistent gaps. Instead, it’s wise to identify your best and brightest and provide them with training that can cover those areas.

When you upskill your workforce, you create a win-win opportunity. First, you can select courses and educational opportunities that align with your needs. You can actively close a skill gap by making the appropriate training available to an employee who is currently thriving and has the right foundational skills, increasing the odds that they can acquire new competencies and apply them quickly.

Second, upskilling can boost engagement. Top performers often crave new challenges and will appreciate a chance to grow professionally. Plus, it shows that you are willing to invest in them, and that boosts loyalty. As a result, your retention rates can improve, and your recruitment efforts might bring better results, as you are more likely to be viewed as an employer of choice.

Get Ahead of the Problem

Planning for your future workforce needs gives you the ability to get ahead of the skill shortage issue. By figuring out what you’ll need to add in the future, you can start cultivating that talent pool today. Essentially, you’ll be recruiting proactively instead of reactively. You can engage with passive candidates and nurture those relationships, increasing the odds that they’ll pursue an opportunity when it formally arrives. You can also take steps to expand your network, making it easier to find the right kind of talent when recruitment day comes.

Similarly, creating formal career paths and helping your employees proceed down them can be beneficial when you want to get ahead of the problem. You can set a particular course and mold your workforce based on your future needs. Effectively, you’ll create the leaders you need tomorrow, starting today, ensuring you have the higher-level staff you’ll require down the road.

Introduce Flexible Workforce Solutions

At times, a specific skill isn’t needed long-term. Instead, you only need that particular capability for an upcoming project. After that, it doesn’t need to be present in your workforce.

When you encounter this form of skill gap, consider using other hiring approaches. For example, you could partner with a staffing firm and find a skilled professional who can work on a temporary assignment. Then, you’ll get precisely the capabilities you need for the period you need them. After that, you can part ways seamlessly.

If you would like to partner with a staffing firm that can help you overcome skill gaps in your team, the professionals at TempStaff can help. Contact us to discuss your needs today and see how our flexible hiring services can benefit you.

 

 

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