Why You Should Hire Employees Without The Skills You Need

We often hear this phrase, “The jobs are there, but the skills are not”. It highlights the skills-gap problem in industries across the world. Employers report that they cannot find workers with the right skills for the job.

On the other side, job seekers are having trouble trying to figure out what skills employers really want. They went through educational programs only to find out it has little value on the market.

Consider Growing Your Own Talent

It’s natural, employers want job candidates who already have the skills to perform on Day One. The problem with this is that employers may overlook the potential of new employees who can quickly upskill or reskill to meet job demands.

The dream candidate may be the one with years of relevant educational and on-the-job experience, but the “grow-your-own” method can help employers make use of the potential of an expanded applicant pool.

An example of a “grow-your-own” is Banfield Pet Hospital, the largest general veterinary practice in the world:

• The hospital saw increased competition for talent which results in a supply shortage of licensed veterinary professionals.

• Banfield’s solution? Develop licensed veterinary technicians at a scale that supports its learning culture and high standards for quality care.

• In 2013, Banfield began sponsoring a certification program for eligible associates through a third-party educational institution. More than 1,200 credentialed veterinary technicians are currently enrolled.

Nowadays, employers are more aware of the value of on-the-job training. By hiring employees who don’t yet have the right skills, employers have a ready-made opportunity to invest in training. By doing so, they build career pathways and drive retention.  These learn-and-earn efforts are not just about retention but also expanding the talent pipeline.

Reconsider The Degree Requirements

According to a study by Harvard Business School, ⅔ of job postings for the role of production supervisors call for at least a bachelor’s degree, but only 16% of current production supervisors actually have one.

Employers who want to expand the talent pool should take a closer look at their degree requirements and consider the role of on-the-job training.

• For example, Adobe’s Digital Academy provides candidates with training in web development and successful students are offered three-month internships with the potential to stay on full time.

• Most of the students, who begin their training without any digital skills, go on to successful jobs in the highest-demand tech industries.

Harvard professor Joseph Fuller once said, "Employers seem to be playing the spot market for labour as opposed to really having a more supply-chain management type of approach. ... [They are looking for] somebody who is just job-ready to just show up."

Of course, job-ready candidates don’t always show up. The ball is in the employer’s court to encourage job-readiness by identifying, training and retaining promising employees, especially if they don’t already have the right skills.

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Source: Society For Human Resource Management

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