When It's Tough to Find the Right Person

There are several reasons that employers are having difficulty finding the right employees to meet their needs, even in this, a buyer’s market.  First, we are in the first stages of a severe worker shortage that the HR industry has been worrying about for some time now.  As the baby boomers begin to retire, they will leave gaps in service that this country is numerically unable to fill.  (The baby-boomers were of the “zero population” age and produced far fewer children than did their parents.)  We’re already seeing the effects, and many businesses reluctantly hire younger, less experienced, and less mature replacements.

As well, there are numerous people who do not design jobs appropriately, and that reflects in their job postings.  Frequently unclear, they often do not represent the type of candidate the company really needs.  It’s not uncommon for a new client to describe a  job to me and then show me a completely inadequate – and thus far ineffective – job posting.  I break down the requirements for them, and recommend that they list first a general description of the job, and then have a list of “must haves” and a list of “nice to haves”.  If a candidate is missing one item on the “must have” list, we drop him from consideration.  Both lists must be reasonable.

I’ve found that a lot of employers do not source well, either.  Most jobs in this country, regardless of the economic state du jour, are gotten by networking.  Savvy employers (and all of my clients) network with potential candidates whether they are hiring or not.  You should not wait until you’re dying of thirst before you begin to dig a well. 

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