Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/205815
Management ("In The Shrinking Talent Pool Find and Grow Your Leaders Within" continued from page 41) is what has been called "a servant's heart;" we want individuals who are not above doing any task that helps others. Customer service, after all, is our primary objective, isn't it? Demographics One more thing to consider is the changing demographics of the workplace. Between the years 2010 and 2030, 79 million people in the U.S. will be retiring and leaving the workforce. Where will all the employees come from to replace the skills and experiences of these people? Is our current education system providing these talents and skills? Unfortunately, we all know the answer to that question. So what is it we have to do? We have to work with the educators and the students, determine which students have the aptitudes and attitudes that we require, and start these individuals working with you earlier than has previously been the case. Have them work after school, on school holidays, during the summers. Match each of them up with mentors. Then create a specific plan for each individual employee that matches their interests and competencies. Yes, this is a much more difficult task and much more diligence will be required to operate it. But it is necessary. Consider the fact that the retiring workers are much more educated than past retirees; as a result we are very likely to be adding many more less-educated workers than we lost to retirement unless we act and prepare ourselves. Additionally, as you review the current labor market you will find that despite the high level of unemployment it is more and more difficult to find the right candidates for a range of skilled positions. 42 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | November 2013 In 2011, Manpower, one of the largest staffing firms in the world stated, "the world stands on the brink of a global employability crisis." Then in 2012, they warned for the seventh year in a row the world faced an acute talent mismatch. Yet only 25 percent of the employers were addressing skill shortages through employee training and education. ("Future Jobs" page 32) We are now critically short of what Peter Drucker called "knowledge technologists." I call them managers and supervisors. Competing For a Smaller Pool For a considerable period of time the business competition for scarce talent will be unprecedented. Companies large and small will be hard-pressed to find good employees and retain them. Salaries and wages, which have so far in this recovery been kept in line with the past, are about to explode