The Manpower report provides an overview of the issues pertinent to employment in the modern workplace. In short, the labor market displays several alarming trends that can adversely impact employment on the global level. There are two points in the report that stand out the most. The first is the reasons for the difficulty of filling positions cited by employers. Specifically, the lack of available applicants and technical skills run contrary to the popular assumption that globalization-based redistribution of human resources can address this shortage (Dobbs, Lund, & Madgavkar, 2012).
Second, some of the skills described as “hard to find,” such as drivers, sales representatives, and machine operators, challenge the popular assumption of information technology as the most appropriate development direction (Manpower Group, 2016). Simply put, the report contains evidence that the demand for talent does not lean where popular perception suggests it does.
Thus, the root cause of the problem is the ongoing trend of increasing talent shortage reported by employers. The lack of technical competencies and experience are the most common causes of shortage from an employer’s perspective, with the future desired state being applicants’ availability. Possible solutions to the issue include training the existing staff, introducing alternative sourcing strategies, searching for talent outside the target population, outsourcing some of the tasks, and adjusting the existing work models. The first option seems to be the most feasible one as it allows developing and applying talent in the most efficient manner (Coulson-Thomas, 2013).
Due to employers’ diversity in the field, custom action plans and timelines would be necessary in each individual case. The evaluation of the solution’s feasibility can be accomplished by measuring performance before and after implementing the strategy by HR managers.
References
Coulson-Thomas, C. (2013). Talent management 2.0: An affordable route to a high performance organisation. Ivey Business Journal. Web.
Dobbs, R., Lund, S., & Madgavkar, A. (2012). Talent tensions ahead: A CEO briefing. Web.
Manpower Group. (2016). 2016-2017 Talent shortage survey. Web.