Message to Unemployed White Collars
By Eva Jenkins

It’s Not The Economy Stupid, It’s The Hiring Practices

Slipshod hiring practices, managers and ineffective corporate recruitment policies are to blame for white-collar professionals unable to find work.

“White collar professionals who can’t find work in the 21st Century shouldn’t blame the economy only,” says Eva Jekins of VIP Innovations. She cites “incompetent corporate recruiting practices” and “under-trained, over-tasked hiring managers who don’t prioritize the importance of the hiring process enough to focus or take the time to define the position itself rather than the person in the position.”

Where Have All The People Gone?
Today’s marketplace is experiencing high job turnover rates and a prevalence of unfilled jobs. And the future looks bleak. “In the next five years, a Baby Boomer retirement wave is going to leave many companies high and dry,” says Jenkins.

Jenkins prescription for companies whose hiring practices are ailing is “training, training, and more training of hiring managers; for recruiting departments, review, revamp and streamline current hiring processes” she says. She believes that management training should include a heavy emphasis on the hiring and interviewing process, but adds that, “A very specific training program aimed at retention is critical.”

Businesses that fail to reevaluate their recruitment processes and develop strategies “to respond effectively to increased demand in a decreased pool of skilled labor” are likely to be doomed. Unfortunately, she says, “some corporate cultures do not emphasize these types of training experiences for their managers.” The result is constant turnover and reduced productivity.