Workplace Skill Shortages – Is Your Organisation Being Caught Short?

We’ve heard it all before… “can’t get the right people for the positions I need to fill”, “too many of the wrong type of person in the market”, “don’t have the resources to develop the people I have to fill these positions”.
But what is the real story when it comes to skills shortages in our workplaces?

The extent of the skills shortage problem is around two-thirds of organisational leaders, managers and employees can identify skills shortages in their own workplaces. That’s two in every three workplaces operating with a workforce that does not have the right mix of skills to function effectively!

So where are the skills shortages most prevalent?

Disturbingly, beyond the expected shortage in technical skills related to specific industries and sectors, two of the top six areas of skills shortage relate to leadership and management – two areas that are often under-resourced in terms of ongoing learning and development…and two areas that are often considered to be of secondary importance in the hunt for skilled personnel.

The message here is clear – organisations (and leaders and managers in particular) need to be investing in the growth and development of the people they already have as the primary strategy to deal with a shortage of skilled and highly effective people for their organisation. Through formal training, structured mentoring and coaching activities and through the creation of a learning environment, organisations can head off the talent war and continue to fund their leadership and management talent base to operate their organisations effectively.

Leaders and managers also need to examine their own skills and identify whether they are equipped to play these roles effectively in the ever-changing environment. If not, they should be looking to enhance their own skills through leadership and management training whilst targeting those around them who will provide for the next generations of leaders and managers.

If you doubt your current leadership skill set – LMA can help! 
Click here to take our FREE DIY Leadership Analysis to gain some valuable information about your current leadership skills.  Additionally LMA has many leadership focused courses available here.