Filling the skill gap through smart recruiting

It is difficult to believe that on the one hand, there are thousands of vacant positions, while on the other, despite ample opportunities, people are unable to get employment.

There is a gap between people required in the workplace, and people looking to get work, which is called the skills gap. Employees who lack the skills, or are unable to present their skills accurately, cost businesses and keep themselves away from preset goals.

There is no alternative solution to overcome the skill gap except upskilling employees. This requires the right strategy and some extra efforts because to maintain an organization’s competitive edge over others in the market, it is of utmost importance to close these gaps.

The solution to this problem is to first perform a strategic analysis of current and potential skill and training gaps, whether it’s in technical skills or in workplace/interpersonal skills, or both. Then, HR managers need to collaborate with the departmental heads to address specific skill needs. Once this is done, the HR manager will help in the implementation of new or revised programmes in order to help the workers produce better results.

So, how to bridge the employment skills gap? Here are some ways business leaders can find solutions that bring competent, skilled talent into hiring managers’ offices.

Talent incubation

Problem recognition is the key to problem resolution. Understanding the requirements of a job, and recruiting people with the desired skillset should be the priority of HR managers in every organisation.

One of the best ways to get the finest lot in terms of young talent for any industry is to either target colleges, universities, or any other educational institution regionally, or in accordance with the specialisation required.

Once you have shortlisted the institutions to get the required talent, don’t wait - start training them with the basics of all the relevant skills and knowledge while they are still completing their education.

This will ensure the students better implement the skills they learn in theory, while working in the practical arena of the professional space. Certifications of higher education might be necessary in some cases, but in others, employers look for certain skills to hire a fresher. This includes problem identification and solving skills, decision-making ability, and analytical skills, along with the communication and reasoning skills. Many universities have begun building programmes that develop and enhance skills in students, thus assuring the entry of skilled and knowledgeable young blood in the industry.

Intensify the internship

It is often noticed that internships and co-ops are often managed poorly in companies, and give little benefit to both the students and the employers. Instead, the success mantra is to create these programmes in such a manner that they expose short-term workers to as many aspects of a company’s operations as possible. In addition, interns need to handle actual projects under the supervision and be given constructive feedback.

Other than this, employers need to be clear about the skills that they need to train the interns in. Explain to them how they can utilise their experience and competency from many jobs and life skills. Overall, the managers are finding soft skills such as communication, leadership, ownership, and teamwork missing in the new crop of workers.

On the other hand, they are not taking the initiative to train interns. Businesses need to understand that the more fruitful they create the training environment to be in, the higher are the chances of getting a skilled class of young blood in the organisation.

(Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of YourStory.)