3 Ways to Overcome the Talent Shortage

As the U.S. economy bounces back and skilled workers are finding it easier to get jobs with better pay, as much as 40% of employers report difficulties filling positions. But there is still much debate surrounding the looming talent shortage: is it because the pool of qualified candidates is dwindling, or is there a fundamental issue with businesses’ current recruiting practices?

Increased competition with other companies to recruit the best candidates is troubling for many employers because it increases employee turnover, reduces productivity, and impedes their ability to meet the needs of clients, ultimately costing businesses thousands of dollars.

The problem may not be with the candidates themselves, but with recruiters’ unrealistic expectations. If employers take a step back and reevaluate their hiring process, they can overcome the struggle for talent acquisition and retain skilled workers for long-term success.

Here are the top three ways businesses can quickly find the right fit for their open positions:

1. Reevaluate your recruiting approach

Traditional recruiting methods are becoming severely outdated. More than ever, job candidates are more responsive to personalized and direct communication when being reached by a particular company. If a business truly believes that an individual is a great candidate for an open position, it is advisable to ditch the generic recruiting email templates. Methods such as email and job boards can lead to an arduous search, and the types of candidates you want are reluctant to use and respond via these impersonal channels.

Tailor your approach to convey genuine interest and a positive brand image, including specific reasons why you think they would be a good fit and the advantages of joining your team, to engage the most talented workers. Companies no longer have the upper hand. Now, skilled candidates must be sold on job prospects instead of the other way around, which should be considered as you reevaluate your recruiting approach.

2. Don’t hold out for your dream candidate

The mistake that most businesses make when they are recruiting is waiting for an imaginary perfect candidate with the exact skills that they want for the exact salary that they want to offer to just fall into their laps. This method is likely to take forever, and almost never results with hiring a highly desirable candidate.

To save time and provide a long-term solution, particularly with talent retention, focus recruiting efforts on hiring someone with less experience but great potential to learn the necessary skills as they go. In other words, rather than holding out for your dream candidate, groom someone else to become your dream candidate. The easiest way to overcome the shortage of talent is to create talent yourself.

3. Consider outsourcing to industry experts

How can a small business get a talented receptionist with the expertise they need without having to offer an unreasonably high salary? Finding affordable receptionists that are still highly skilled and knowledgeable about a specific industry’s practices is a common problem encountered by attorneys and healthcare providers, in particular.

Candidates with those highly sought after skills are not likely to be swayed by a low salary. Talent, unfortunately, comes at a price, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t cost effective alternatives. For far less than an hourly or salaried employee, you can hire a live virtual receptionist that is specially trained for your industry needs. Virtual receptionists are real professionals that work remotely in industry-specific teams, so whether you need a receptionist with paralegal training or one familiar with HIPAA requirements, you can get the skilled help you need at a cost that any business can afford.

The talent shortage poses a real threat to many businesses, but there are still ways to hire and retain talented employees, from changing your recruiting strategy, having confidence in less experienced candidates, or outsourcing to more affordable and remote skilled workers.
Overcome the talent shortage today by hiring industry experts from Davinci Virtual Receptionist Services.

About Coco Quillen

Coco is the Chief Operating Officer at Davinci Virtual Office Solutions. She manages the strategic development and operational implementation of services for Davinci. She works closely with all teams to ensure customers are well taken care of.