Finding skilled and experienced workers who fit the mentality of your company and possess the required knowledge for the position may seem a difficult task, especially in the case of jobs which require a high level of specialization. This can cause the position to remain vacant for a prolonged period of time. Many employers in the modern job market face this exact problem and struggle to fill their vacancies by hiring the best possible people, in order not to fall behind in the competitive market. There are, however, several solutions you might consider to overcome this challenge.
Set realistic job requirements
When compiling a list of skills and traits an applicant should meet for the vacant position, avoid setting the bar too high. While it can be compelling to simply describe the perfect person for the job, hoping to attract only the best of the best, this may be off-putting for a lot of people, especially those lacking confidence in their abilities. It is also important to keep in mind that such a job description will attract both the competent and confident and the confident but incompetent. Another approach you could use is separating all the required skills and characteristics into two categories, for example: “essential” and “desirable”. This is likely to attract more applicants and give you an opportunity to evaluate them while having more options to choose from. When writing a job description, make sure it contains all relevant information about the position, while remaining straightforward and concise.
Invest in your employees
Since hiring a new and qualified person to perform a certain job is the default ad-hoc solution, employers may overlook the other option. If you recognize a person among your employees with the right mindset for a job, but perhaps lacking specific skills, consider training them for a higher position. The modern age is the age of learning. This way you will fill the position with a person you already know. The other benefit is the positive effect on the employee’s motivation since they will feel appreciated for their hard work and will be likely to continue doing their best, as well as on the general image of your company in the eyes of employees. This solution, however, requires a measure of planning ahead, since, despite the advantages of employee training, it requires time, and is best used as a long-term strategy.
Hire from abroad
The international job market made available to employers in the modern times we live in may hold the solution to closing the existing skill gap and allow your company to hire skilled and experienced people for positions you would otherwise struggle to fill. As hiring people from foreign countries is not as simple, consulting and enlisting the help of experienced immigration solicitors will help you in dealing with the additional bureaucracy and provide you with the best suggestions in terms of which countries to consider and other issues related to hiring foreign employees. The additional taxes and obligations pertaining to hiring foreigners can be mitigated by the fact that skilled foreign workers are more often than not willing to accept a lower salary, compared to domestic applicants with a similar skill set, since migrating to a country with a better economy will likely improve their living standard.
Referrals
Setting up an internal referral scheme can be an efficient way of finding and hiring new employees, especially by including certain incentives to motivate people to recommend skilled friends. This option has two main benefits. Firstly, you will save yourself considerable time by entrusting your employees to recommend new additions to the company, rather than searching for new staff yourself. The second advantage is reflected in the fact that your employees are likely to recommend people whom they know are good in their field since no one wants to take any risk to themselves by recommending poor workers. Apart from that, the general morale can benefit from allowing the employees to take part in the selection process.
There is no simple solution to the global problem of shortage of skilled workers. The modern way of doing business is constantly evolving with new technologies offering new options. This is why companies have to be able to adapt quickly to changing circumstances and make the most of them, but also be able to plan ahead and anticipate future challenges in order to remain competitive in the market. This is where seeking advice from professionals in different fields can help you to maintain and expand your business by making sure you have the right team of people working in your company.
