Talent Solutions to Tackle the Skills Gap

Mar 15th, 2023 | Hire Wire

Tap into the barely touched pool of High Performers

McKinsey and Company stated that 87% of companies globally know they already have a skills gap or will have one within a few years. To tackle those gaps, employers have to either diversify the employee training offered internally or potentially spend additional budget on advanced sourcing and screening tools to identify candidates with the right skills, hopefully winning them over for the organization.

But what if a pool of highly qualified candidates was already out there for almost every industry? Candidates in fields that include healthcare, IT, Manufacturing, and more? A collection of highly educated candidates with the adaptability and strength to be highly effective multi-taskers. Or enthusiastic applicants with enhanced leadership experience, experienced leading team-based projects across multiple departments on a global scale while displaying resilience & effectiveness in a fast-paced environment. It almost seems like this is still the unspoken secret, but both candidate pools exist, and only a few industries seem to reap the benefits from them.

Did I get your attention? It is our US Veterans and Military Spouses!

Yes, the various acronyms, specialty fields, and assignments seem like another language when reading over a veteran's resume. However, many of these have a civilian equivalent, and we must educate HR and Hiring Managers to understand them. Veterans notably develop and excel in many competencies and soft skills desired in the workplace at higher levels than comparable civilian populations (Michael H., 2021). In addition, when strictly evaluating candidates by education, a significantly higher percentage of military spouses hold a college (30%) degree or an advanced degree (15%). However, a White House Council of Economic Advisory study (2018) estimated that over 50% of military spouses are underemployed. Why? Military spouses often must move every 18-36 Month domestically or internationally to be with their families. Therefore, employment continuity isn't always possible, which creates a constant change in employment and fosters employment gaps. Organizations with flexible work environments and schedules will most likely be able to gain highly trained employees and retain them over a much larger time.

Many organizations are integrating upskilling techniques and reskilling employees to tackle the skills gap. But why don't we rethink and tap into this pool of hidden gems? Especially when doing so could reduce costs for your department and organization with tax credits (WOTC = Work Opportunity Tax Credit) or reduce the need for new employees altogether. Several organizations provide resources for employers, veterans, and military spouses alike. Examples range from Employer Support of The Guard and Reserve (ESGR) to Recruit Military or Hiring our Heroes. Even the SHRM foundation released a free certificate program, Veterans at Work, that helps Human Resources personnel and hiring managers understand the military community and build a veteran hiring program. AIRS also offers a certificate program (CMVR= Certified Military Veteran Recruiter) to help source and identify exemplary veterans or military spouses to ensure your Talent Acquisition team is up for the task.

Plenty of resources are out there to bridge the gap between the military community and the corporate world. However, a well-educated Human Resources and Talent Acquisition team will be the critical factor in aiding the hiring and integration of veterans and military spouses into your workforce.