Listen now to my podcast about how to adapt to today’s changing workforce!

Today, there are 6 million jobs in the U.S. going unfilled, 1 million of then in IT. Demand is high but finding qualified people is a real challenge for employers. Why? And what can businesses do to attract and retain talented workers? Good news! Real solutions are out there, which I discuss in today’s episode of my Ask Andi series—short 15 minute podcasts every month. Listen in!

So why are so many jobs vacant these days, despite nationwide efforts to fill them? Many HR professionals will say that applicants lack experience and jobs are changing faster than people can adapt. But if you dig a little deeper, what you’ll find is that an entire disruption of the employer-employee relationship is taking place, kicked off by the 2008 Great Recession when people were laid off by the millions. In the years since, these workers discovered that they didn’t have to return to their hamster-wheel jobs where large corporations called the shots. They could become freelancers and dictate their own destiny!

And that’s what has happened. Today, the power has shifted from the employer to the employee, who decide where, how, when and how much they want to work. Companies are no longer in control, which is a major shift in the entire business model.

But what if you’re one of those companies with jobs to fill? Some suggestions:

1. Hire women (statistics prove that women are excellent workers)
2. Venture outside the typical talent pool
3. Offer training and development to your existing staff
4. Help your in-house workers build credentials around areas of skills
5. Attract new hires by committing to mentoring and developing them
6. Outsource and partner with other companies in a you-help-me-I-help-you relationship

Does this ring a bell? Are you too having trouble hiring and retaining great workers? Share with me your stories, comments and questions, please. I’d love to hear them. Send them along to info@simonassociates.net.