As a small business owner in an economic climate saturated with job applicants, you may still have trouble attracting the right kind of talent – with good reason. According to the latest Talent Shortage Survey by recruitment agency Manpower Group, 52 percent of U.S. employers are experiencing difficulty filling mission-critical positions within their organizations, up from 14 percent in 2010 — an all-time high.
The three most common reasons employers say they are having trouble filling jobs are candidates looking for more pay than is offered, lack of technical skills and lack of experience, according to the survey.
"There may be an increasing imbalance between employers willingness to pay higher salaries in what is still a soft general labor market compared to the salary expectations of prospective employees, especially those with skills that are in high demand," said Jonas Prising, Manpower Group president of the Americas.
The complaint of skilled employees to choose from may make the environment seem like 1999 all over again, but take a look at the list below. In the United States, the top 10 hardest jobs to fill include:
Business
• Skilled trades
• Sales reps
• Engineers
• Drivers
• Accounting and finance staff
• IT staff
• Management/executives
• Teachers
• Secretaries/administrative assistants
• Machinists/machine operators
That’s right – the nation is in need of more than just tech employees. It’s a comprehensive list that mentions jobs across a wide range of industries.
"The fact that companies cite a lack of skills or experience as a reason for talent shortages should be a wake-up call for employers, academia, government and individuals," Prising said.
Take stock of what your company needs, what you can afford to pay employees, and work with local organizations to attract the right talent for your firm. There are a lot of skilled workers out there waiting.
