Where Art Thou, Qualified Workers?

Despite the high number of unemployed workers in America, virtually every industry is suffering the same major woe: a lack of qualified candidates to fill open positions.

Corie Barry, Best Buy CEO, believes there are four primary reasons for this dilemma:

1. A lack of childcare. Many schools and day care centers don’t yet operate as they did pre-pandemic, so some working parents are still having to balance child care responsibilities with their jobs.

2. Health concerns. Some people are still concerned about getting sick. If a job does not have a work-from-home option, such as a retail or hospitality position, fewer people apply.

3. Changing roles. At many companies, employees were turned into essential front-line workers overnight. People may not want to continue to sign up for that going forward.

4. Competition for staff. Many organizations need additional workers and are vying for the same people to fill their open positions. There simply are not enough qualified people to go around.

Jill, What Can I Do? People vent on LinkedIn that firms have unrealistic hiring expectations. I agree. It’s unrealistic to require a person who is applying for an entry-level job to have 10 years of experience. Therefore, be more realistic as it relates to candidate requirements. And, create a culture that rocks. This will enable you to attract and retain great talent, and cherry pick high performers away from your competitors. Employees want to work for an organization that meets or exceeds their needs (connection, communication, collaboration, and recognition). Build it and they will come.