It’s hard to find good help. According to a recent CareerBuilder survey, the old adage may just be true. Nearly 68 percent of U.S. employers who said they were increasing their number of full-time, permanent employees in the first quarter of 2017 currently have open positions they can’t fill. The problem isn’t just a lack of candidates – it’s a lack of qualified talent.
The growing skills gap is a concern to 67 percent of employers. More than half of those surveyed say it has negatively impacted their business due to extended job vacancies, with a sizable proportion of employers pointing to productivity issues, an increase in voluntary turnover and revenue loss. HR managers report that extended job vacancies cost more than $800,000 annually.
What Does This Mean For You?
If you are unable to find the right talent outside your company, consider focusing your efforts internally instead. Investing in the talent you already have can fill employment gaps and keep your company running smoothly.
Here are a few ways to get started:
Take stock of your company culture. Companies with great cultures experience less turnover. Plus, happy employees are more likely to act as brand advocates and attract the right people to your company. If your employees aren’t happy, consider making changes to improve overall morale.
Reskill employees. Just because an employee currently works in marketing doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t be great for sales. Get to know your employees’ individual strengths and weaknesses and consider reskilling those with the potential to move laterally through the organization.
Find other ways to tackle the skills gap issue.
