Businesses say they are willing to train people if they possess valuable soft skills such as creativity and a willingness to learn.
PHOTO BY LUKE SHARRETT/BLOOMBERG FILES
‘Soft skills’ have become more valuable and job seekers who possess them will have the advantage
Canadian businesses say they’re struggling to find workers, and it’s not because potential hires lack training in their field. Rather, it’s a lack of “soft skills” holding workers back.
According to a new survey from Harris Poll, commissioned by staffing firm Express Employment Professionals, 59 per cent of Canadian businesses say they can’t find qualified employees to fill vacancies. And a third of those businesses say one big reason is because prospective hires don’t have soft skills such as dependability, flexibility and a willingness to learn.
It’s an issue that could make a labour shortage even worse in the long run, as businesses say those soft skills are proving more valuable than hard skills in a post-pandemic world.
“Companies are very willing to make massive investments in new hires — training, development, coaching and mentorship,” said Brent Pollington, an Express franchise owner in Vancouver, in a news release. “What they look for in return is an employee who has demonstrated a willingness to learn, retain and eventually return the investment the company makes.”
If businesses can’t find workers who fit the bill, they then become less likely to hire people they’ll have to train, which could exacerbate labour shortages.
“Otherwise, companies become fearful and hesitant to make those investments and teach hard skills,” he said.
A recent report from RBC Economics echoes the Express survey results. RBC says the pandemic transformed the economy and changed how people do business. Suddenly, being able to adapt became extremely important. And that’s unleashed the new “it” skill of the “soaring ’20s”: creativity.
“Through our research, we are increasingly convinced that creativity is going to be a critical skill through the 2020s, as we re-emerge, re-build and re-invent, delivering ideas at a rate never seen before right across Canada,” authors Trinh Theresa Do, Sonya Bell and Andrew Schrumm said in the report.
According to RBC’s analysis, employers have been actively looking for more creative soft skills in job postings between the first quarter of 2020 and 2021.
There’s been a rise in postings targeting critical thinking (up 37 per cent), flexibility (up 20 per cent), teamwork (up 18 per cent), the ability to learn (up 15 per cent), continuous improvement (up 12 per cent), problem solving (up 9 per cent) and strategic thinking (up 8 per cent).
The sectors most looking for workers with such skills are health care, education, sales and service, the report says. And the reason why has everything to do with the pandemic.
“These sectors have been among the most affected by COVID and are undergoing large-scale transformations that will need creative workers at their core,” the authors said.
Job seekers with such skills will have the advantage, RBC says, with more roles and opportunities to choose from.
Staffing firm Express CEO Bill Stoller agrees, saying companies are eager to hire creative people.
“Employers want workers who have the relevant hard skills and experience, but after a year of unprecedented interruptions caused by the pandemic, many companies want employees who are dependable and innovative self-starters who can adapt to change,” he said.
“These more intangible skills along with the right attitude are more valuable to employers than ever before.”
“These sectors have been among the most affected by COVID and are undergoing large-scale transformations that will need creative workers at their core,” the authors said.
Job seekers with such skills will have the advantage, RBC says, with more roles and opportunities to choose from.
Staffing firm Express CEO Bill Stoller agrees, saying companies are eager to hire creative people.
“Employers want workers who have the relevant hard skills and experience, but after a year of unprecedented interruptions caused by the pandemic, many companies want employees who are dependable and innovative self-starters who can adapt to change,” he said.
“These more intangible skills along with the right attitude are more valuable to employers than ever before.”
Recommend this post and follow
The birth of modern Man
No comments:
Post a Comment