2015 Warning – A Talent Shortage! Part 1: Three Great Sources of New Employees

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New EmployeesYes, though it may not be as fast or as robust as we would like, the economy continues to improve in 2015. What is one of the major issues now facing US companies? A talent shortage! One of the major contributing factors is that the record number of Baby Boomers (people born between 1946 – 1965) retiring exceeds the supply of new qualified talent entering the market place.

Part 1 of this two part series will look at 3 top sources of bringing in new talent. Part 2 will explore the importance of retaining your existing talent through better engagement and career development.

Let’s examine three great sources for bringing in new talent: Veterans, Older Workers and Millenials.

1) Veterans! Most indications are that the USA as a country will be deploying less troops overseas, resulting in additional veterans ending their tours of duty and entering the domestic job market. Yes, hiring veterans is a good thing to do to thank those who have served our country, but more importantly, the men and women of our Armed Services have received excellent training and have gained valuable skills required by most businesses. Do look for programs in your state promoting and providing connection tools for Veteran hiring. In North Carolina, we have an excellent effort being coordinated by the Governor’s Working Group on Veterans, Service Members and their Families in conjunction with our NC state SHRM (Society of Human Resource Mgt) group and major businesses. Veterans looking for work in NC and companies with job openings should check out the NC Military Pipeline website. And do read my blog about hiring veterans from last November.

2) Older workers! Even has record number of people in their late 50s and 60s are now retiring, many older workers want to keep working or perhaps re-enter the workforce because of continued good health, the desire to keep intellectually stimulated and for financial reasons. This excellent pool of talent can offer deep expertise in their fields or your industry, and can even include former employees who may want to return to work part time or on a contract basis. But a strong value proposition needs to be offered; these valuable workers are seeking flexibility in hours and having responsibilities that leverage their strengths and in which they feel valued. Check out the blog I published in 2013 on considerations for best engaging older workers.

3) The New Millenials! These are people born after 1982, and thus includes all the 20-something recent college graduates. Companies must really work hard to recruit enough of this emerging young talent to fill many positions left by a high retirement rate, realizing that the same things don’t drive this generation as past ones. These younger workers seek more work-life balance, to have their opinions and contributions valued, and companies that embrace diversity and more altruistic global world view. Also companies need to do more recruiting in “virtual space” instead of the old methods. (see my blog “Are your recruiting methodologies up-to-date?”)

Go out and hire some Veterans, older workers and new millennials! In Part 2, I will focus on how to develop and retain this important talent once you have recruited them onto your team.

Proposed NC Religious Freedom Restoration Act – Discriminatory, Unnecessary and Harmful

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Could I be stranded in a ditch because a tow truck driver finds a bumper sticker an affront to his religious beliefs?

Could I be stranded in a ditch because a tow truck driver finds a bumper sticker an affront to his religious beliefs?


FINAL UPDATE: On April 23rd, the NC House Speaker declared this bill dead for the session after many business leaders spoke out in opposition. Link to News and Observer article.
UPDATE: This blog was written and published late afternoon March 30 and then this proposed legislation was the front page story (link) in the March 31st Raleigh News and Observer.

There is currently a bill filed in the North Carolina State Legislature – House Draft DRH40172-MM-8B (link) called the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” This is similar to the bill just signed by the Indiana governor which has been a main story in the news the past several days. This blog explains why this proposed NC bill is discriminatory, unnecessary and harmful.

Let me share two scenarios.

SCENARIO 1: While driving home across the state on a business trip, an unexpected snow storm appears and I slide off the interstate into a ditch. I call “AAA” and they dispatch a local tow truck driver. When he arrives, he sees the “Equality NC” bumper sticker on my car, and knowing what it is, says, “Sorry, I cannot tow you out of that ditch. That would be against my religion. Besides, this is probably God’s punishment on you for your sinful lifestyle.”

Could a grocer use "freedom of religion" in refusing to sell food to a lesbian shopper?

Could a grocer use “freedom of religion” in refusing to sell food to a lesbian shopper?


SCENARIO 2: A lesbian couple live out in the country near a small town with one “Mom and Pop” grocery store. When they go in together to buy groceries, the store owner says, “I know who you two are and what you are doing. Your immoral lifestyle is against my religion and I cannot support it by selling you groceries.”

These scenarios could certainly happen under this proposed law. Originally, the concept of religious freedom meant providing people a safe place to practice their faith in peace without negative ramifications, and now religious freedom has been distorted to be a license to actively discriminate against others you disagree with.

And this law is unnecessary:
• No one is forcing a Jewish restaurant owner to add bacon and pork to her menu.
• No one is forcing the Muslim pet store owner to add dogs to his inventory of cats, hamsters and tropical fish.
• And no one is forcing the pastor of small fundamentalist church to perform gay weddings (or any wedding for the matter he does not wish to perform) in his church sanctuary.

Finally, this law would deliver a tremendous blow to our economy. Don’t we want to have an open business environment where those companies deliberating on leaving Indiana or at least not expanding there, now consider coming to North Carolina? Why would we want to put a large barricade around our state that says to businesses “Keep Out”?

People of good will, and especially people who truly want economic growth for all, should vigorously oppose this unnecessary, divisive and harmful bill.

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For for information on how to be an equality “Open for Business” enterprise in North Carolina, please check out this Equality NC business webpage.