5 Problems Affecting the Talent Pool and How to Overcome Them
Across the spectrum of industries that make up the job market, there is a shortage of top-talent workers that is expected to last for quite some time. As a manager striving to hire new talent for your company, you know how difficult it is to find and attract top-notch candidates.
While there is no single solution to the worker shortage problem, understanding what’s causing the shortage, to begin with, can help you devise strategies to improve your chances of hiring the quality talent you need. Let’s look at five of the key issues affecting the talent pool today and some strategies you can implement to overcome them.
1. The Great Resignation
Following the pandemic and lockdowns, workers began looking at their jobs and career tracks from a different perspective. Many began leaving their jobs in great numbers, citing reasons ranging from safety and health concerns to low pay to overall quality of work-life balance. This exodus, known as the Great Resignation, shows no sign of abating.
Though some workers are leaving completely, many are changing jobs. You can turn this to your advantage by making your company more appealing to job seekers. Pay close attention to your company brand and work culture, offer fair pay, along with the benefits and perks that top talent is looking for, and provide flexible work options that attract candidates seeking a better work-life balance.
2. Health Risks
Health concerns have become a major focus in the workplace in recent years. Though we have embraced a “new normal” following the pandemic, continued waves of illness have kept many people from returning to their onsite jobs. Wellness programs and health precautions have become a focus for many job seekers.
Highlighting safety throughout the hiring process can reassure new candidates that you value their well-being as much as their skillset. Include your vaccine and precaution standards in your job ad and reinforce the safety and health options you have available throughout the hiring process. Considering offering remote and hybrid options as well, allowing job seekers with pre-existing health issues or who are unvaccinated the flexibility to work while keep themselves, and everyone else, as safe as possible.
3. Hiring Bias
Your hiring process may be a big part of your hiring problem. Focusing on diversity and inclusivity in the workplace, and in the hiring process, has become a major focus in business. If you’re still using the more traditional methods of screening and hiring, you may be introducing a tone of bias into your hiring process that is putting off candidates and narrowing your talent pool.
Start by examining your first introduction to the candidate: your job description. Language in your job description may unintentionally indicate a racial, sexual, gender, or ability bias that discourages candidates from applying. Also, look at the way things are said. Some groups of job seekers will avoid pursuing a job because they don’t meet all the criteria listed. Simply reassuring candidates that even if they don’t meet all the criteria, they should apply can make a big difference.
Considering using screening software as well. This will strip out many details from resumes and focus solely on comparing the candidates’ skills and experience rather than where they live or where they went to school.
4. Attracting the Wrong Candidates
If you’re consistently attracting the wrong candidates, take a look at your job advertisements. Whether you’re posting online or in print, your job ads need to resonate with the kind of top-notch talent you are seeking.
Take the time to refine your job description and ensure it includes the most important requirements as well as hint at some of the other hard and soft skills you find most desirable in a candidate for the role. Consider including some screening questions in the ad as well. For example, if an active driver’s license or other certification is needed, ask if the candidate has one.
5. Candidate Ghosting
“Ghosting” has made its way from the dating world to the job-hunting world. While you can’t completely prevent breaks in contact, open communication can help reduce them. Take the time during the screening and interview stages to learn about the candidate’s motivations and what their deal-breakers are. Discuss salary, benefits, and perks, as well as their work history. Pitch your company’s value and ensure that everyone is on the same page moving forward through the hiring process.
Conclusion
Hiring top-notch talent during a worker shortage is difficult. The first step toward overcoming this challenge is to understand why it’s happening and address those issues. Bu anticipating the concerns that candidates have and ensuring that you showcase what makes your job position ideal for them, you can overcome the problems affecting the talent pool and attract the top talent you need.
Need more staff? Contact Vector Talent to learn how we can help you find the best talent!
