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“Why Good People Can’t Find Jobs” author Peter Cappelli on how employers can do a better job in finding the best people for the job they are try...
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That well even in this tough economy employers are complaining that they can't find skilled workers for job positions but we have somebody here who challenges that argument.
Peter -- is the author of why good people can't find jobs and he joins me now professor thanks for coming -- I can't tell yet how many dozens perhaps even hundreds of Silicon Valley companies we've had ought to say.
Look we we just can't find enough qualified people is is very shortage of qualified help in the in the work field.
-- you -- a shortage means something quite specific it means.
That you can't find what you need.
Even if you're willing to pay the market price.
And that doesn't occur very often in the economy think about for example something like diamonds.
Diamonds are very expensive but there's no shortage of -- you can get all you want the price you -- to pay.
So I think when we look at these complaints by employers about not being able to find what they want.
We find a few things one is often it's a case of money.
They don't want or can't pay.
How to wage is necessary if people they want that's a problem for them has certainly a big issue but it's not a public policy problem.
A second issue we find a lot is that what they're looking for is quite specific.
And it's really issues of work experience is not kids coming out of college that -- the issue.
In almost all cases they're looking for somebody who's already doing the job someplace else.
So real hairdressers and what they want is quite specific super -- may also -- one veteran forgive me professor of forgot again but you say that some companies actually prefer to just.
Leave these positions open.
If they can't find somebody that.
Really narrowly fits that job.
Right and I think the issue is whether that makes any economic sense for them.
I don't think I've yet talked to a company that could tell us how much it cost them when they keep a position open like that.
But if you do any kind of reasonable cost calculations.
On that if you keep a position open for an extra month or so.
You're losing a whole lot more than it would cost let's say to train somebody for a week.
And as you know in these white collar jobs they're not.
Covered by the fair labor standards act you don't have to necessarily pay people.
This full salary if you're training them.
Our family there -- that they -- or what I want on boarding.
Before they even come to work for him.
So they're doing things which don't seem to make sense even for themselves law -- your book is entitled why good people can't get jobs let's put in the plaza.
How how -- good people get jobs.
Well I think a lot of this seems to rely on the employers and -- that is understanding.
When you can hire somebody who is perhaps not the perfect fit.
For you but it's better than waiting a long period of time to hire them having to wait for the perfect fit to come along.
And to grab that person now -- little training it lacks experience.
And off they go I think the issues on the employers' side it's not.
There's not that much that good candidates can do right now with the employers are not willing to hire them.
-- let me let me -- one specific you say that these job descriptions are so specific that they -- is almost computer like algorithms work you have one digit off.
Forget about it you can't get it how about if you find out really specifically what -- -- -- -- just.
Sort a copy of say I'm your guy here's what I've had it matches your description of what you want.
Well I think most employers are concerned about doing exactly that.
Because they feel your client I think if it looks like you have just taken the job description -- -- And pasted it in.
It doesn't look particularly good for you you know some of these tracking systems and applications require also -- first question or someplace along line.
What -- you looking for.
And that's a tricky one for an applicant because if you -- too high now they -- your application out but if you get well maybe you're going to be stuck with a low wage so.
You know it's a catch 22 -- -- Peter compelling professor at -- and author of why good people can't get jobs thank you very much professor good to see you thank you.
