Short-term fix for filling short-term skill gaps

In Sri Lanka there is some times a perception that there is a lack of skilled workers to fill positions at management levels. Some employers would say they have difficulty filling positions because of a talent shortage.

Some of the complaints about skill shortages simply could be that employers can’t get top candidates to accept jobs either due to their poor organisational reputation or the wages offered is not competitive. Then that becomes essentially an attraction problem, not a skill shortage.

A skill shortage to me would be when employers cannot find candidates at market-clearing wages. When companies cannot afford the people they want they need to drop the idea of finding perfect candidates and look for people who could do the job with some training, on the job coaching, mentoring and on the job practice.

There are plenty of ways to get staff up to speed without investing too much time and money, such as putting new employees on extended probationary periods with lower pay until they get up to speed with the requirements of the job, on the job coaching and relying more on internal hires.

Strategies to fill vacancies

If candidates don’t have the skills the industry needs, the industry together should make them go to a technical school and get the skill before they are hired. Technical colleges should be motivated to join with employer groups and business chambers and run targeted course work to fulfil the specific needs of employers.

Candidates who complete the course will then qualify to be hired. They can pay for themselves or could share the cost with the employers supporting the technical school.

For instance, a bank might require that prospective job candidates first pass a basic elementary course in banking before they are hired as trainees. Also going back to a university or to a technical school should not be limited for new hires only; it should be actively promoted for internal candidates. For them, the employer can pay the training costs through an internal scheme. Employees must recognise that education is insurance for a better future.

Apprenticeship programmes

This is a very popular arrangement in many professional outfits.

Apprentices are paid less while they are learning skills. Audit firms, law firms, motor companies and consulting firms have operated long time this way. A properly structured apprenticeship programme, with exams, testing and certification at different stages of experience, would work for most industries to create a pool of talent to hire from.

Building talent depth

Employees have organisational knowledge that no outsider could have and therefore employers should as far as possible make internal candidates the first choice to fill jobs higher up. Companies should support their own employers to grow the skills necessary to take on new roles.

Also, when there are sudden resignations, internal employers could step into those jobs with a bit of training and coaching. Companies that put employees on tough projects and help them learn new skills can over a period of time build an internal talent pipeline that can vastly expand the supply of talent that the company can tap into, making it both cheaper and easier to fill jobs within the company and group.

On the other hand, employees can also get the skills they need without the employer having to invest in a lot of upfront training by investing time and money on education and on their own personal development, which would be an insurance for a better future.

(The writer is CEO of HR Cornucopia.)