In a recent blog post, I addressed the fact that there are currently three million job openings in the country right now, at a time when the unemployment rate is above 9%. This fact underscores the gap that currently exists between the skills that companies are seeking and the skills that people actually possess.
But what if that gap becomes even wider in the future? Then what?
Recruiting industry trainer Doug Beabout, CPC of The Douglas Howard Group is one person who believes that the gap will be wider, and substantially so.
“There will be between six and eight million jobs open by 2013, and that’s just representing the jobs that exist right now, with no growth in the economy taken into account,” said Beabout. “There will not be people in our population who can do these jobs. In our history as a nation, this has never happened.”
So what does this mean for recruiters? In a word, opportunity.
“Obviously, this will be a national crisis, and in this crisis will be an opportunity for any recruiter who knows how to recruit in the traditional sense and can charge a premium for that service,” said Beabout. “When the time comes, recruiters will be able to demand—and receive—money up front. There will be companies going out of business because they can’t get the talent they need.”
The trend of companies not being able to find the candidates that they need has already begun. That’s one of the reasons why hiring managers keep telling recruiters to “go get another candidate… and another… and another.” According to Beabout, that trend is not only going to continue into the future, but it’s also going to be more prevalent.
“Our biggest complaint from clients will be that they just can’t find anybody who fits,” said Beabout. “They won’t be able to find them on LinkedIn or Monster or anywhere else. They won’t be able to find them, period. All they’ll find are people they don’t want to hire. That’s where recruiters will step in.”
What do YOU think? Will there be eight million open jobs by the year 2013? Will there be even more than that? What opportunities exist for recruiters in circumstances such as those, and how do you plan to take advantage of those opportunities?
— — —
(Doug Beabout, CPC, has been a recruiter and leading industry trainer for over 30 years. For the best in recruiter training from Beabout, visit www.recruiterelearning.com. For training products and information geared toward candidates, visit www.careertalkguys.com.)