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Companies Are Desperate for Workers
Article

Companies Are Desperate for Workers

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

Slate, 2022


Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable
  • Concrete Examples
  • Hot Topic

Recommendation

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.

Take-Aways

  • Low salaries and insufficient benefits keep potential job applicants away.
  • Many job ads include unrealistic skill requirements. 
  • Companies must adjust their hiring processes to current market conditions.

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.