One thing we hear from business is the number of vacancies available and the lack of applicants for those vacancies. “People just don’t want to work,” is a familiar cry from many a HR Manager or small business owner. While this might be true for some vacancies, a search on Seek reveals that many of the 500 advertised local positions require qualifications and experience. Hardly something someone who has been unemployed for 3 years of more might be able to apply for.
Anglicare Australia recently released report “Creating Jobs, Creating Opportunities” found that many Australians are being left behind, unable to compete in a job market that is calling for skills and experience across the board. They found that only 1 in 10 of all vacancies were at an entry level position, compared to 1 in 4 fifteen years ago.
Does this mean we are losing our entry level positions or does it mean we are failing to upskill our own staff, creating entry level positions?
Actually it’s a little from coloum A and a little from coloumn B and even some from coloumn C – workforce casualisation, flexibility and inclusivity.
When you actually look at the issue, we see two distinct issues – workforce vacancies in skilled positions and a lack of entry positions.
So what’s the solution?
Upskilling your existing employees to fill your vacancy.
Now it’s not a silver bullet, and it can take time to upskill someone, but we know that a company that prioritises the training and development of their employees’ skills will be able to sustain a prominent competitive advantage. Without learning and training programs in place, organisations risk losing qualified talent and lagging behind their competitors.
Upskilling employees comes at a far smaller cost to your business than hiring a replacement and by expanding the skillsets of your current employees, you will find yourself with a more diverse, agile, innovative, well-rounded workforce that can adapt quickly to change.
And the flow on benefit is that you potentially now have an entry level position that you can fill locally, and your business can continue to grow and prosper.
Upskilling employees prevents their existing skills from becoming redundant while creating a culture of continual learning with future professional development. Naturally, this will help to retain your current workforce and reduce costs associated with employee turnover.
All in all, it’s a win-win situation.