Companies Having a Hard Time Hiring

Many companies are having a hard time hiring qualified individuals to fill their open positions. Yep, I'm writing this post in August of 2009. I'm fully aware of the economy and high unemployment numbers. Living in Michigan, it's impossible not to be.

Care to hazard a guess why some companies can't seem to find the right person for their needs? One reason is somewhat obvious. What companies need their employees to know is evolving. Some are caught waiting for the workforce to catch up in terms of training and education.

A less obvious reason for a shortage of qualified applicants is the fact many individuals who are gainfully employed aren't looking for other opportunities. They believe things are bad enough it is best to hunker down with a job they hate, ride this economy out and wait for things to improve before attempting to find another job. "I should be thankful I even have a job," is something I hear a lot.

When those who are currently employed sit the job hunting process out, it leaves employers in the position of having to choose mostly from the unemployed. Before anyone gets out of joint, I'm not taking a dig at those who are out of work. I know many are great people with valuable skills. As I said before, however, many of those who are currently unemployed come from select industries and skill sets. Industries that are thriving and haven't been touched by layoffs or closures don't have a lot of people in the unemployment pool with backgrounds directly matching their hiring needs. It's an adjustment to be looking at candidates in terms of "who can we train" versus "who has the background most in line with what we do who will hit the ground running?" This is especially true because hiring managers hear the same unemployment statistics as the rest of us and assume high percentages translate into an abundance of options for their open positions.

For those of you who feel stuck in jobs you hate or don't find fulfilling, now might not be as bad of a time to look as you've assumed. It may seem like you are competing against the masses based on the sheer numbers of people applying for jobs. In reality, there may be fewer individuals who match your credentials vying for a position than what you would experience in a boom economy.