Employers Struggle with Skills Gap

A previous HR by the Numbers provides insight into the global war for talent, indicating that Canada is projected to have a serious talent deficit in the coming decade.

Of equal importance is the skills gap: the mismatch between the skills employers seek and the skills job candidates have.

According to a global study conducted by ManpowerGroup, 25 percent of employers in Canada, one-fourth, are having difficulty filling jobs—despite high unemployment.

Top reasons include lack of available applicants or no applicants (33 percent); lack of technical competencies/hard skills (33 percent); and lack of experience (24 percent).

The impact of the skills gap is far reaching. Recruiters spend more time searching for job candidates, which results in additional expense (a cost which should be factored in to cost per hire). And that’s only a part of the equation. When there are no ideal candidates, employers must train and develop existing staff, which 25 percent of employers indicate they do, or hire people who currently lack the job skills but have the potential to learn and grow, which happens about 12 percent of the time.

How is your organization addressing the skills gap?