Recruiting Strategy: Grow Your Own

I talked last week about the 4 levels of recruiting strategy that I shared in a presentation entitled "Finding and Keeping the Right Staff".   I challenged the audience of business leaders to also think about what their responsibility is in growing their own talent as a form of recruiting strategy.

Where I live, people complain a lot about the skills gap, particularly in manufacturing.  I think you can find the conversation going on in most of the U.S. where the ability to find skilled labor is a challenge.  Employers like to point fingers at the family, the community, and in particular the educational system for not turning out skilled talent.  While I echo the thoughts that is partly the responsibility of these entities to supply skilled labor to business and industry,  I do agree with Peter Cappelli's sentiments about Why Good People Can't Get Jobs (Thanks to Ellen Didier with Red Sage Communications, Inc. for sharing this article with me!)

Basically, Cappelli argues that employers should take responsibility for closing the skills gap by hiring good people and then training them to meet their needs.

Want to take your recruitment strategy to the next level?  Hire interns in high school or college or start a co-op or apprenticeship program.  You may find increased talent levels and increased loyalty through the grow your own mentality.

An Example

I was meeting with a rapidly growing machine shop last week.  The Director of Operations told me that their welder is 75 years old, and they were having trouble finding someone externally to eventually replace him.  So what did they do? They picked a entry level rising star on their shop floor and he is now training one-on-one with the welder to eventually step into his role.  The company couldn't have a better trainer to train him and the rising star couldn't have a better opportunity to learn an in-demand skill.

The Question

Do you think employers should bear responsibility in closing the skills gap?   If so,  what is the best way to address growing new talent?