Deloitte: Skills Gap Hobbles Employers

Concerns about attracting, motivating and retaining talent continue to top human resources professionals’ worries, even in light of record-high unemployment, a new Deloitte study suggests.

The trouble: A widening skills gap that leaves U.S. employers competing fiercely for a limited supply of qualified workers. “The survey exposes a widening gap between the dwindling supply of skilled workers in America and the growing demands of the modern workplace,” said David Lusk, author of the report, “2012 Top Five Total Rewards Survey.” “A key challenge ahead for employers will be working to help close this skills gap to maintain a competitive edge in the global marketplace.”

Other findings from the survey, which is produced by Deloitte and the International Society of Certified Employee Benefit Specialists:

  • One-fourth of respondents expressed concerns about talent, compared with 16 percent a year ago. Talent shortage concerns were the highest among insurance and professional services firms.
  • They’re worried about their own jobs. Among employees, 45 percent are worried about the future of their own job security. “Being constantly attuned to the shifting forces within the jobs and talent marketplace could lead to a higher level of anxiety about one’s own position,” said Scott Cole, senior manager at Deloitte Consulting, LLP and a co-author of the report.
  • Many employers expect to re-evaluate their benefits strategy in light of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
  • A fifth organizations have integrated social media into their Total Rewards communication campaigns.

We’ve written about how other companies are working to close the skills gap (The Skills Gap: Creative Ways to Manage Talent Acquisition). Do the results of the Deloitte report ring true to you?  What do you think it will take to close the skills gap?


Link to original postOriginally published on MonsterThinking

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