Watch out for the Talent Shortage Iceberg!

Guest post by: Ben Nash
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Keeping the Change Process Cool - By Ben Nash

Sometimes in the midst of the current recession we forget that we have a looming talent shortage – and it will be here before we know it. You might even call it a looming Talent Shortage Iceberg! Take the shipping industry for example. Even as the rescission has reduced the volume of shipping in the last two years, shipping volume overall is up substantially compared to ten years ago. The number of tankers in the ocean, worldwide, rose 17% between 2001 and 2005 and container ships jumped by 30%. With this increase comes the need for talented deck and engineering officers—but the industry is already finding it hard to recruit qualified officers.

The worldwide shortfall of officers stands at 10,000, or 2 percent of the total workforce. By 2015, however, the projection is for the officer shortage to triple. The numbers mask a more troubling skills shortage. The more sensitive types of shipping, for example cruise ships, cargo ships, and fuel tankers, are entrusted mainly to developed first officers who have undergone more rigorous training than their second or third officer colleagues. More than a quarter of these officers are now over 50 years old and moving toward retirement. Sources in the industry freely admit that they have not done enough to recruit and train talented people to replace them,

This pattern is being repeated in industries that require highly trained and experienced staff. If you are in an industry that depends on recruiting experienced and qualified people, then look carefully at the dynamics of the demographics affecting the availability of talent over the next five to ten years. Unlike the shipping industry you probably want to start planning now to avoid hitting the talent shortage iceberg!

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Keeping the Change Process Cool - By Ben Nash

About the Author: Ben Nash

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Ben Nash is the editor-in-chief of DailyHRTips.com. He is the founder and chief developer of the blog, providing tech/design support as well as tips and book reviews. Ben has held many interesting jobs in his professional career, including: barista, landscaper, public policy intern, barista (again), professional horse wrangler, ski lift attendant (aka "liftie"), political science teaching assistant, marketing and sales assistant, and an ecommerce/web developer. He also doubles as the Creative Director at Aspen Organization Development Consulting. Ben has interacted with many people, in many different organizations and offers some interesting insight on the human resources game. You can read his blog at http://www.DailyHRTips.com and visit his website at http://www.AspenOD.com.

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