The recruiting landscape is an ever-changing beast as priorities, technologies and culture change. How can recruiters adapt to these challenges to make sure they attract the right talent?
First, let’s identify one of the biggest challenges recruiters are facing as they seek to hire younger candidates just entering the workforce.
One of the biggest obstacles they face now is the so-called skills gap. We’ll break down the issue-- but it may not be quite what you think.
So what is the skills gap?
The skills gap is the idea that there is a gap between the skills that prospective employees have and the skills that employers are looking for.
Those in the talent acquisition field lament that candidates entering the workforce do not have the skills needed to become successful employees.
So, how can recruiters find employees who have the skills they need to be successful?
It may be easier than you think.
Employers need to hire for the skills they value. I know, I know, that seems obvious.
Aren’t employers already hiring candidates with the skills that they want? Isn’t that what the recruitment process is?
Not necessarily.
Many employers have been prioritizing the wrong skills when it comes to hiring.
What do we mean by that?
Well, first, let’s talk about the different types of skills-- “soft skills” and technical skills.
Technical skills can be knowledgeability about certain programs, codes or fields and “soft skills” are capabilities like communication, emotional intelligence and problem-solving.
What we’re finding is that employers often aren’t hiring for the skills they value the most!
They prioritize technical skills over “soft skills'' during the interview process. Unfortunately, technical skills do not always translate to a successful employee.
Jeffrey Moss, founder and CEO of Parker & Dewey, a company dedicated to fixing college to career transitions, says we need to rethink the way we’re hiring to put more emphasis on “soft skills”: “the hiring process itself is not really designed for employers to evaluate these skills – interviews, networking events and other traditional campus recruiting processes do not allow students to showcase these skills…”
Moss suggests that there needs to be a shift in the way we think about “soft skills.”
“The term “soft skills” suggests that these skills may not be as important or key to one’s professional success as compared to other more technical skills like coding, accounting, etc. In reality, these skills are truly “core” and should be treated as such.”
Core skills (AKA soft skills) like EQ, problem-solving and communication are much harder to teach and learn than technical skills.
When you prioritize core competencies in the hiring process you can make up for any technical gaps by training your new employees in the technical skills you want them to have!
Because technical skills are more easily taught than core skills.
When you hire for core skills and use training to make up for any gaps in technical skills- you’ll have a more well-rounded and potentially longer-term employee at your company.
There are many challenges in the recruiting landscape nowadays, make sure you prioritize skills correctly!