Recently, in the Wall Street Journal, there was an article about "why companies aren't getting the employees they need" written by Peter Capelli. Even with unemployment so high, companies are grousing that they can't find skilled workers and that filling a job can take months of hunting.

There are a variety of reasons why this phenomenon is occurring, but this article added a new reason to the list....the employers themselves!

"With an abundance of workers to choose from, employers are demanding more of job candidates than ever before. They want prospective workers to be able to fill a role right away, without any training or ramp-up time."

 

As the article stated, companies need to drop the idea of finding perfect candidates and look for people who could do the job with a bit of training and practice. It was suggested that one of the ways to get workers up to speed without investing a lot in training is to extend the probationary periods, elevate internal hires and replace them with more entry level candidates. "It's a fundamental change from business as usual, but the way we're going now just isn't getting it done."

 

"Some of the complaints about skill shortages boil down to the fact that employers can't get candidates to accept jobs at wages offered. That's an affordability problem, not a skill shortage." Employers believe that because there are numerous choices, they can lower the wage for the position. The old adage 'you get what you pay for' can be very true. It would be a different story if they were willing to take a candidate who matched 80% of the job description and they were willing to invest 20% in time and training to develop them. Employers that invest in growing their employees typically have higher employee retention rates.

In the United States, we are going through a challenging economic time, but we need to continue to invest in our work force for the future of our businesses.

 Beyond investing in employees, we must also invest in our businesses. How long has it been since you looked at your business with "fresh" eyes? If your bottom line is stressed, it's time to assess whether or not you're losing your competitiveness.

Are you creating "value" for your customers? Are your business processes outdated? Have you taken your eye of the ball?

FreshXperts is here to help! We have "experts" who can help you develop plans to get your business and employees back on track.

Give us a call. We're here to help!!