Reports indicate that there are over 10 million jobs that are available to those seeking a new position. If that’s true, why is it taking so long to hear back from companies who post a job? Or, in some cases, an applicant may never hear back. There are several reasons for this situation. Here are a few:
Pipelining – Companies may advertise for a job, only to put all of the interesting responses in their files for a later date when they may have an opening. It’s called Pipelining. This is especially true with a company that has a high turnover, is expecting a surge in a particular function, about to open a new operation, or just wants to know where potential talent is located. It’s not very fair from the applicant’s point of view, but it’s an industry practice by many companies. Your best approach? Send a compelling resume to companies of interest, then forget about it until you hear back from them. When you do hear back, you’re probably in the top 10% of all applicants and will get a screening interview.
Picky Managers – The marketplace has been churning over the past 2 or 3 years due to Covid, remote work, the economy, and changing financials. Managers are more selective than in the past. They want to know who has kept up with the technology with training and development programs. Also, managers are more careful to hire candidates who come very close to the skills and experiences they need for success. The greater the gap in those required skills and experiences, the greater the risk to their results.
Job Levels – Highly skilled employees who have extensive experiences in their field that hiring managers are looking for are in great demand. They have the pick of open jobs. As you move down the list to those who have less skills and experiences, the supply increases and the demand decreases. With jobs that require some or no skill or experience, the marketplace is like a commodity: High turnover and easy replacement.
Skill deficits – Even over the past few years, the technology requirements have continued to escalate. New or upgraded systems have been installed while many employees have been working remotely, without the training in upgraded or new skills. This gap between required and available skills and experiences have caused a constriction in the marketplace: A large number of opportunities, with a large number of interested applicants, but a narrow gap for candidates to pass through.
Recent layoffs – With the global economy in a turmoil and the stock market gyrating daily, a number of companies have reduced their employee ranks dramatically. Two technology giants just announced over a 10,000 reduction in the workforce. That kind of announcement sends ripples throughout the world.
What does all this mean to you? Keep your skill sets up to date. Remain agile in the marketplace. Broaden your experiences. Keep all options open. Perform at a high level. It’s your results that count.
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