Organizations continue to express concern about talent shortages. Yet it is likely that they are overlooking untapped talent pools that can help meet their talent needs. I have made several posts over the last few years on how organizations often overlook non-obvious or “hidden” sources of talent. These posts included commentary on various reports, such as
- Realizing the Potential of America’s Hidden Talent Pool | Accenture – a 47-page report highlighting workers deemed as STARS or Skilled Through Alternative Routes. STARs have a high school diploma or equivalent and do not have a four-year college degree, but have the skills to perform higher-wage work today. They have developed skills on the job and through alternative routes, such as community college, military service, and apprenticeships. However, they often get overlooked for not having a traditional four-year degree.
- Hidden Workers: Untapped Talent | Harvard Business School – a 74-page report that outlines several barriers that keep companies from considering hidden workers—those that have a desire to work and are actively seeking work, but their regular efforts to seek employment consistently fail because of hiring processes that focus on what they don’t have (such as credentials) rather than the value they can bring (such as capabilities).”
- The Emerging Degree Reset | The Burning Glass Institute – a 30-page report that shares findings from an analysis of over 51 million job postings in the US. Results show that many companies are moving away from degree requirements and toward skills-based hiring, especially in middle-skill jobs.
As HR, talent acquisition, and talent management practitioners continue to help their organizations source talent from untapped talent pools, I wanted to reshare these resources, as well as this more recent article by i4cp. It includes an infographic showing how high-performance organizations consistently leverage talent from 11 alternative sources. What do you think are among the most overlooked talent sources that organizations should increasingly tap into to meet their talent needs?
