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Companies Are Desperate for Workers
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Companies Are Desperate for Workers

Why Aren’t They Doing the One Thing That Will Attract Them?

Alison Green
Slate, 2022
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Many US businesses are experiencing talent shortages and difficulties filling vacancies in a job-seeker’s market. But what if the source of the problem lies with the companies themselves? Drawing on anonymous, first-hand accounts from frustrated job hunters, Alison Green of the funny and unvarnished work-advice blog Ask the Manager offers up some suggestions. Companies that pay fair wages, advertise realistic skill requirements and streamline hiring practices can better navigate the labor market.

Summary

Low salaries and insufficient benefits keep potential job applicants away.

Companies struggling to fill positions in the United States have failed to keep pace with changes in the job market over the past two years. This employee shortage has materialized, particularly, in companies that fail to meet salary expectations. One job applicant reports an experience with a company seeking an experienced professional in a specialized field for a salary of $17-18 per hour. The position, the potential candidate adds, was in-person and in a high-cost of living area.

Furthermore, many employers are unwilling to increase benefits, such as vacation and paid-time...

About the Author

Few people are as knee-deep in our work-related anxieties and sticky office politics as Alison Green, who has been fielding delicate, anonymous workplace questions for a decade now on her website Ask a Manager. In her column for Slate, “Direct Report,” she spotlights themes from her inbox that help explain the modern workplace and how to navigate it with aplomb.

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