Employers aren’t adopting skills-based hiring quickly enough to keep pace with a changing labor market, according to a Feb. 28 report from General Assembly, reflecting ongoing concerns about the availability of tech skills.
HR leaders surveyed said about half of their job postings for tech jobs require a college degree, while 45% said college degrees are a top-two determining factor — but 90% of leaders surveyed said they are extremely, very or somewhat concerned that current recruiting methods will not be enough to fill open tech positions.
These results come as other reports showcase a lack of digital skills throughout the workforce. The vast majority of jobs analyzed by the National Skills Coalition and the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta required digital skills, but one-third of workers surveyed do not have even basic foundational skills for these jobs, according to a February report.
IT skills are a specific scarcity in the job market, other studies have shown; 34% of hiring managers surveyed last year by ManpowerGroup subsidiary Experis said they were having difficulty filling tech roles because of a lack of skills.
Employers have options, however. In-house training, apprenticeships and other nontraditional approaches — including hiring from boot camps — may help employers overcome the skills gap and build a talent pipeline.
Both public and private employers have been opting for “skills-first” job advertisements, as well, turning away from requiring a four-year degree for certain positions.
