Employers routinely complain about the lack of skilled people available for job openings companies have. But there is now some evidence to show that companies to some degree might be part of the cause of the talent shortage they bemoan.

In a recent survey of more than 2,000 companies, half of the hiring managers said they were concerned about the lack of qualified candidates. But at the same time, half also said they restricted job candidates according to job titles. 

This gives an indication that hiring managers might be needlessly narrowing the number of applicants. Other surveys have shown that hiring managers who consider only candidates by job title have a significantly harder time finding people than those who look at a broader range of criteria.

Based on this evidence, business analyst Matt Ferguson argues that hiring managers are unnecessarily making it harder to find people because they are relying on job titles, which are really arbitrary designations. Relying on job titles is not an effective way to screen candidates because it does not really tell much about a person’s experience or qualifications. Plus, a person at a small company may have the same job title as someone at a larger company, but their duties may be very different.

This focus on job titles is all the more harmful for companies because it then takes longer to fill job openings, leading to losses in productivity, revenue and slower growth.

Instead of looking only at job titles, hiring managers need to look at the skills, knowledge and abilities of the applicant, and see how those match up against the requirements for the job. A company looking for a business intelligence analyst, for example, wants someone who can produce financial and market information, produce reports and do database research. But if the hiring manager will only look at resumes with a “business intelligence analyst” job title on it, he would probably miss many good people with the qualifications for the job. Market research analysts and business risk specialists also may perform the same tasks and have the qualifications for the job.

The same is true for other occupations – paralegals often use the same skills as technical writers; medical assistants and pharmacy technicians may have similar skill sets, as well as machinists and auto body workers.

If you are looking for top-flight professionals in New York City, Winston Resources can provide you with the people you need. We can fill positions in a variety of occupations, so give us a call today.