Addressing Talent Acquisition Challenges: Practical Strategies for Attracting Top Talent

These practical strategies can help recruit quality candidates, even in industries where employers compete for talent.

Attracting and retaining high-quality talent is essential for any business to stand out from the competition and reach its goals. However, there are often ongoing challenges with talent acquisition across many fields that can keep organizations from achieving their full potential. According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, there are 90 workers for every 100 open U.S. jobs. In some fields, like the skilled trades, employers are searching for employees rather than employees searching for new opportunities. A 2023 Associated General Contractors of America survey found that 70% of respondents were concerned about an insufficient supply of quality workers or subcontractors, and 80% had difficulty filling some or all positions. There are practical strategies that can help attract and retain top talent across all fields, especially trade industries experiencing worker shortages.

Start Early: Address Any Misconceptions About the Field Through Proactive Education

Overall perceptions about a career type or industry can hurt a company’s recruiting ability by creating a gap between the number of openings and qualified candidates. To change misconceptions about a field, education about these opportunities must start early with students, school counselors, principals, and teachers. Proactive education and outreach, early and often, can help spark interest in future talent. Early career exploration by interacting with those working in the industry through guest speakers or even field trips to job sites allows students to see themselves in their future careers.

In the skilled trades, for example, employers face the perception that these jobs are a “second option.” There are still those who think that if you are not smart or talented enough to go to a four-year college, you must settle on learning a trade instead. When you educate people on the technology and skills required to become an automotive technician, those perceptions start to change. It takes a lot of problem-solving, technical knowledge, and dexterity to be successful in trade roles. For any field, it’s important to address misconceptions early in the talent development pipeline. When those around them are supportive of a career in the trades, it helps them aspire toward a rewarding future in the field.

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Be Transparent About Salary and Career Growth Potential

No one wants to commit to a career field that will not allow them to achieve their long-term personal and professional goals. If an industry is struggling with recruiting new talent, there may also be misconceptions about the potential for an employee’s earnings and growth. These outdated ideas can hold back recruitment efforts. So, being upfront and transparent about career pathways and earnings potential can be very valuable for getting interest from top applicants. The skilled trades, for example, have higher salaries than people assume they do, especially as workers increase their skill level and attain industry-relevant credentials. There are also pathways for employees to take on leadership opportunities within skilled trades organizations. In a Gen Z survey, 44% of respondents said clear pathways to promotion are among the top qualities they look for in potential employers. Documenting the steps necessary to advance, providing feedback, and offering ongoing career training can help with not only recruitment but long-term retention as well. 

Partner with Education Programs and Invest in the Next Generation of Talent

Partnerships with education and training programs have a strong return on investment for employers. At Hendrick Automotive Group, we work with Universal Technical Institute (UTI), a leading skilled trades education provider with campuses near many of our dealerships across the country. We invest in students by providing work experience opportunities while they attend school and helping reduce the financial burden of their education once they graduate. Along with hiring UTI graduates, Hendrick provides financial support to several UTI campuses and has branded classrooms at each of these locations. Having visual branding for an employer on campus helps spark student interest and keeps that employer top of mind.

Offering work experiences earlier in the process than a traditional internship allows an employer to build a stronger relationship with students and can help employers attract more potential talent. Providing opportunities for students to start working as soon as they begin their education allows students to apply the skills they are learning in school. Furthermore, working hands-on in the field leads to a deeper understanding and retention of the information they’re learning in the classroom.

Apprenticeship programs are also growing in white-collar industries such as banking and cybersecurity. Today, approximately 40% of apprenticeship programs are outside of construction trades. These blended learning experiences, where students apply lessons from the classroom in a real-world setting as they’re learning, are key to preparing students for success. Today’s employers are not just looking for a degree on a piece of paper; they are looking for what skills the potential employee can bring to add value to their organization.

Recruiting top talent requires a holistic look at what might be keeping people from entering a particular field and building strategic, mutually beneficial relationships between employers and training programs. By addressing misconceptions, educating potential employees and their influencers on career pathways and growth potential, helping remove financial barriers to training programs, and partnering with education programs to provide hands-on experiences, employers can build a strong pipeline of quality talent for their companies.

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