With how lay offs are being heavily touted in Michigan, it seems
like there's no sign of things improving anytime soon. That's not true.
In fact, all signs point to, believe it or not, a shortage of employee
talent in the upcoming years. Instead of no jobs, we will have a major
labor shortage on our hands. Why?
Generation X and Generation Y do not have a great interest in
working with their hands, like the baby boomers did, and the baby
boomer generation is getting ready to retire. Furthermore, Job
candidates become confused when they hear about the outsourcing of
labor jobs. Companies still need the skilled trade's people here in the
USA. Companies are outsourcing the low skilled/semi skilled jobs, not
the higher skilled, higher paying jobs.
Already I am seeing the effects of this generational gap in my work.
I search daily to fill openings in several areas, including skilled
trade's machinists, machine repair people, and machine builders,
because the older workers are retiring and there are very few young
workers available to replace them.
Conversely, even when the young skilled-labor workers are available,
some companies might be hesitant to bring them on. Hiring managers are
often reluctant to recognize that employees aren't going to only work
for 1 or 2 companies over the course of their career. Many clients we
work with feel that someone should be "loyal to the company". That is
completely outdated thinking. Generation's X & Y think its normal
to move jobs every 3 years, or so.
These companies will have to change their mindset when their
standards make it impossible to find good candidates over the upcoming
years. But by then, it may be too late, as the companies reputation is
sullied by their unreasonable standards. Nothing attracts talent as
well as word of mouth from satisfied employees.