It’s safe to say that our current employment market is facing a candidate skill shortage – whether it be in technology, health care, manufacturing or another field. For job seekers who have the skills that companies are looking for, the current state of things works in your favor. For employers, it does not.
Here are some strategies that employers can consider if they find themselves in an uphill battle to fill talent shortage vacancies:
Offer Better Incentives
Offering your top job candidates a higher salary than your competition can be helpful, but it’s far from the only thing attracting strong talent to employers. More than ever, employees see greater value in things like flextime, work-from-home options and development opportunities that will enhance both their personal and professional lives. Some larger employers are pulling out all the stops to offer their employees the ultimate in workplace incentives and conveniences – like free, healthy cafeteria food (Google), onsite healthcare services (Facebook), and no official work hours (Netflix).
Hire on Soft Skills, Then Develop the Hard Skills
The idea of hiring for attitude and training for skill isn’t new. But back in the day, the preferred approach of many HR pros and recruiters was to hire based on a candidate’s relevant experience and skillset. Throughout the years, however, more employers have shifted their focus to hiring based on soft skills – like a strong work ethic, dependability, positive attitude and self-motivation. If a candidate’s soft skills align with the values of the company and workers, then employee retention should remain high. And developing the hard skills that may be weak or missing should be much easier.
Focus on Your Company Culture
One of the best ways for employers to attract top talent is to make sure they always have a sense of connection to the company’s mission and workplace culture. Employers should get serious about establishing a company culture, and embracing and sharing that culture with their employees every chance they get. This could mean promoting an environment that encourages collaboration, celebrates company history and heritage, or rewards accomplished initiatives.
Work with a Staffing Agency
When a company is confronted with a candidate skill shortage, hiring a staffing agency is often a smart decision. An experienced agency, especially one with deep roots in your industry and geographic area, will help place the best possible talent in the roles they’re looking to fill. They will often do that by recommending the employer hire a permanent placement, vs. hiring a temporary or contract worker. Why? Because in a skill shortage market, there is a larger pool of permanent placement candidates than temp/contract candidates.
If you’re ready to cast a wider net over your talent pool, A.R. Mazzotta can help! Let our experts spend some time getting to know your company and your hiring needs. Contact us today and get the conversation started.