Three Ways to Fill the Talent Gap

Most people refer to the talent gap as the space between baby boomers retiring and millennials climbing their way up the corporate ladder and into management. This is actually happening right now and will continue to happen over the next few years, so it’s important to not only be aware of what is to come, but to prepare for the inevitable. I mean, more than 60 million baby boomers will exit the workforce by 2025, and only 40 million new workers will enter. I’m no mathematician, but we’re short on employees, folks. Not only that, but the skills that baby boomers have refined over years of practice and the expertise that can only come from time will be lost. So more than ever, hiring managers must be looking for the right candidates and training those who will be a good fit.

But, I don’t only want to focus on this talent gap, but also the talent gap that you already have within your company. You know, the talent that you are lacking with the people who are already working with and for you. As leaders, it is not only our job to duplicate ourselves, but to take a look at the road ahead, plan for it, and take action.

So, in an effort to better you and your company, here are three ways that you can fill the talent gap and ensure your company’s success for years to come:

First, with a little creativity, you can do more with what you already have.

Before going out and hiring new people, is there room for you and your team to improve with what you already have? If so, that’s creativity at its best — using the tools that you already have in your possession, thinking outside the box, and becoming better. This is the best way to improve your team without spending more time and money on new hires. This takes the focus off of increasing funding, and instead places the focus on making your already great team even better. It’s always a good idea to focus on becoming better before becoming bigger, and implementing creativity on a daily basis is the best way to make this happen. Push people to find the creativity that is already inside of them, reward them for it, and repeat. Leaders should always be looking for creativity within their team to fill the talent gap.

Leaders should always be looking for creativity within their team to fill the talent gap. Share on X

Second, stop looking for the perfect candidate, and instead, be prepared with a better training program.

54% of employers currently have open positions for which they can’t find qualified candidates. The fact of the matter is that you will want your employees to do things differently than the ways that other companies teach their employees to do things, so you will need to teach people your methods anyway. This means that you should focus more on your training methods than your hiring methods. This is unorthodox advice, but I believe that the main problem found in the talent gap is hiring someone based on their previous talents and then leaving them to figure things out on their own. Hiring is what gets people in the door, proper training is what helps people succeed, and community is what keeps people there. Never forget the power found in training to fill the talent gap.

The only thing worse than training employees & losing them is not training them & keeping them.” – Zig Ziglar

And third, always remember that talent is only found in the practice of attempts.

In 1993, a group of researchers found that practice accounts for 80 percent of the difference between elite and average musicians. If you’ve ever practiced an instrument or have known someone who is trying to learn a new instrument, then you know that practice is filled with repeatedly hitting the wrong key or strumming the wrong chord until one becomes better, and the same idea applies to your workplace. As a leader, you need to make room for the practice of attempts, because practice is the key to growth. Hard work can fill in the gap between the talented and the untalented.

Practice accounts for 80 percent of the difference between elite and average musicians. Share on X

Good employees make mistakes, and great leaders encourage them in their efforts. It’s important to note that good employees find ways to not make the same mistake repeatedly, but attempting new things is the difference between an average and a talented team. In many cases, having a passionate team who is curious about making things better is enough to find success.