Being able to quickly learn new skills is vital in this changing job market where technology shifts rapidly.Getty Images
Shifts in global trade, the advent of artificial intelligence and postpandemic workflows have upended the labour market. Emerging fields in technology have ballooned overnight as other sectors have collapsed, and employers are scrambling to find workers who can deliver new, cutting-edge services to their customers.
But in this dynamic labour market, human resource executives say the best candidates aren’t necessarily the most experienced or technically proficient – it’s those who can learn, unlearn and relearn new skills who bring the most value to an organization.
The growing skills mismatch is a global phenomenon. A Gartner HR report, which surveyed 1,400 HR leaders in 60 countries across all major industries, shows that 85 million jobs around the world are projected to go unfilled by 2030. Transformation of industry, fuelled in part by the use of generative AI, is expected to change 23 per cent of all jobs, and 61 per cent of talent management leaders say that these new demands exceed their capacity to deliver.
At Altis Recruitment, chief operating officer Erin Campbell says her clients are often seeking a “unicorn” candidate – someone with “rich, deep experience in a specific industry.” But many candidates applying for work are “generalists.” The gap between what employers are looking for and what’s available is leaving hiring managers cautious. “In this uncertain market, [employers] want someone who has it all, and they’re willing to essentially wait for that,” Ms. Campbell says.
But the widening skills mismatch isn’t necessarily cause for panic. “There’s a perception that it’s always easier to hire someone who’s done it before and has the expertise,” says Ms. Campbell. “I don’t know that that’s always the case.”
“We coach our clients to meet different people from different spaces, different expertise,” she says. Otherwise, “you just limit your pool and you might not get the best talent.”
Brent Dul, executive vice-president at recruitment firm Randstad Canada, says “soft skills are becoming a new currency,” and “what differentiates a candidate isn’t necessarily their current skill set. It’s their ability to learn, to adapt, to grow on the job.”
And as in-demand skills continue to evolve, a work force that isn’t geared toward adaptability may risk higher turnover. “It’s expensive,” Mr. Dul says. “You lose the experience; you lose the intelligence and then you have to go to market and restart that process to try and find somebody all over again.”
A skills-based hiring philosophy has served Mr. Dul well. Randstad needed a new employee to handle a high-volume recruiting process. His top candidate was a Tim Hortons manager. “It’s not somebody necessarily who would be top of mind to manage a project,” he says. But the candidate proudly explained to Mr. Dul how she trained and managed her team to operate the fastest Tim’s drive-through in Calgary. While she lacked the direct experience, the necessary skills were there: managing a fast-paced, high-volume process that required accurate decision-making and project delivery. “She’s still with us. She’s one of the best hires that we‘ve made.”
To identify those candidates, Mr. Dul suggests opening up the job description. Be concrete. “Instead of saying: ‘the person must be detail oriented,’ you can say things like: ‘they must be able to accurately complete these inspections twice per shift,’” he says.
In the interview process, ask “how” questions. “It gives the person on the other side of the table an opportunity to tell a story,” he says. A solid, well-prepared candidate can show how their past experiences translate into the current job opening.
To retain existing labour and keep their skills up-to-date, Mr. Dul says “ongoing, bite-sized learning,” with check-ins once every two weeks or once a month can solidify a new process or software implementation at a workplace.
At Altis, Ms. Campbell says all staff are asked at onboarding how they learn best, and the firm offers a mix of in-person and online training for all learning styles. “Learning is so unique to each individual,” she says. “It’s hard to have a one-size-fits-all approach.”
For employees considering a transition, it can be hard to know where to start. “People are just so close to their work,” says Michelle Schafer, a career coach at Clariti Group. “Oftentimes we don’t hit the pause button and reflect on what we need.”
She suggests to start by identifying your transferable skills. Ms. Schafer often asks clients to list their achievements, aspects of work that give them energy and what they were known for among co-workers. “Maybe you developed completely new processes during the COVID pandemic that allowed you to support customers in a different way,” Ms. Schafer says. “If you acted in place of your director when they went on vacation, that’s developing leadership skills.”
Next, identify your skills gaps and where you can bolster them. Networking, research and talking to people in your desired field can help familiarize you with what skills are needed. Industry associations offer accreditations, postsecondary institutions offer micro-credentials and LinkedIn Learning and Youtube offer countless tutorials. “Lots of roles don’t necessarily need you to go and get a whole certification, but maybe you need to brush up on some skills,” Ms. Schafer says.
Finally: show – don’t tell. “Adaptability, resilience, team player, attention to detail: those are all very overused phrases,” Ms. Schafer says. Relay those work experiences to highlight your soft skills.
Transitions can be scary. “Sometimes, we‘re forced into it,” she says. “We oftentimes fear things that are unknown to us.” But with proper planning, “we can action that plan. And the change is less scary when we learn more about it and we start to take steps in the right direction.”