In 2013, Skilled Talent Shortage and Poor Candidate Experiences

Skilled Talent Shortage

In 2013, there was a prevalent skilled talent shortage, and it’s expected to continue into 2014.

ManpowerGroup found that employers are continuing to struggle to find skilled talent, specifically in:

• Skilled trades
• IT
• Engineering
• Technicians
• Mechanics
• Finance and accounting
• Sales

The primary reason companies are having trouble finding skilled talent is due to the lack of technical and soft competencies, available applicants, and experience.  Applicants were also looking for more pay than offered.

To help overcome skilled talent shortages, employers are gradually implementing new strategies, including changing their sourcing tactics, employee referrals and working with professional staffing/niche firms.

Poor Candidate Experiences

While companies are complaining of a skilled talent shortage, prospective candidates have some frustrations of their own.

Candidate and new-hire experiences remain an area of improvement when it comes to finding a job.

Studies show that candidates are aggravated with varies issues in the recruiting process, such as:

• Lack of responsiveness or acknowledgement to their application
• Lack of follow-up or communication after an interview regarding a decision
• Too much time and difficulty required to apply for the job
• Lack of transparency about compensation for the position and realistic aspects of the job
• Dissatisfaction between the expectations set during the interview, and those set on the job not matching up.

Studies suggest that a candidate’s experience still has room for enhancements in terms of improving transparency, responsiveness, and ease.