Nearly two-thirds of organisations can’t find the skills they need, according to new research – but many may unknowingly already possess these skills within their existing workforces.
The study by Spotted Zebra and PeopleScout found that 63% of HR and Talent Acquisition leaders admit their organisations are struggling to recruit the skilled talent required to meet their strategic goals.
However, the research reveals that because many organisations are failing to understand and manage the skills of their workforce, the skills they need may be hidden in plain sight.
Based on a global survey of 100+ HR leaders and over 2,000 employees, the Skills Crisis Countdown report reveals that less than half (48%) of employees feel that their employer understands their skills well. Meanwhile, 56% feel their skills are underutilised and could be used elsewhere in the organisation.
“Organisations are not doing enough to understand their workforce skills or the skills required for success in roles,” says Nick Shaw, Co-Founder of Spotted Zebra. “Our research found that a quarter of organisations are relying on manager feedback alone!
“While managers may provide reasonable insight into technical skills, they can’t accurately identify the all-important behavioural skills, which are a much better predictor of role success.”
The research findings are timely, given growing concerns about skills gaps, particularly in areas such as AI. With the talent pool for AI skills still very limited, organisations must reskill and develop their current workforce to fill these gaps.
However, organisations will struggle without an understanding of the behavioural skills, adjacent skills, and transferable skills that earmark individuals as a good fit for AI roles.
Indeed, the study reveals that 46% of HR leaders say that reskilling/developing employees is one of their biggest workforce challenges. As a result, only 7% are actively investing in strategies to adapt, reskill, and support employees in taking new roles.
“HR and Talent Acquisition leaders will increasingly have to utilise a ‘build and buy’ strategy to fill skills gaps,” concludes Nick Shaw. “Reskilling and skills-based hiring will be critical to acquiring the skills required for growth. But it all starts with an understanding of the skills required for high-growth roles, and the skills your workforce possesses – something that our research reveals is lacking.”