FOCUSING ON SKILLS TO ATTRACT AND KEEP - THE BEST PEOPLE

F O C U S I N G O N S K I L L S T O A T T R A C T - A N D K E E P - T H E B E S T P E O P L E

I came across an interesting report from Reuters recently that, among other things, found that today ’s talent pool is approaching work from an entirely different perspective than in the past. Namely, today ’s job seekers do not have the “job for life” mentality that previous generations embraced, while at the same time they are much more interested in pursuing roles at organizations that offer growth opportunities and opportunities for work and projects that might be outside of their specific job descriptions but are tied to their unique skill sets.

While this presents a challenge for recruiting, keeping and motivating talent in the industry, it nevertheless aligns with the way business is going in general: embracing a skills-based approach to work.

We’ ve talked previously about the transition to thinking of work in terms of the skills needed to achieve business goals, versus work as defined by traditional job roles. Companies that adopt this approach have been dubbed “ skills-based organizations” —and according to Harvard Business Review, they ’re the way of the future. “Evaluating employees and new hires based on their skill sets instead of their work history can help level the playing field — and help companies realize the talent they already have. It also makes talent pools more diverse and often makes hiring more effective. This is the future of hiring and development. ” Sharon Emek

As we all know, the insurance industry does not have enough talent to fill the many open positions. By focusing on skills, including cross-over skills from different insurance sectors or industries, companies can increase their talent pool.

So while talent today may be more selective when it comes to their jobs, expect more in terms of flexibility, and seek additional work opportunities and career growth more quickly than in the past, the most forward-looking organizations have already been adapting to focusing on skill sets casting a wider net to find the right talent and to keep employees.It’s much easier to offer people internal growth opportunities and out-of-the-box projects when you are focused on skills rather than on job descriptions, for example. And when you ’re prioritizing skills, you ’re also prioritizing exactly the type of innovative and creative mindset in your workers that experts say will be crucial for success going forward.

Sharon Emek, PhD, CIC CEO and President, Work At Home Vintage Experts WAHVE.com