Agility Is the Answer to Great Talent Mismatch, RGP COO Tells Vox

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 8.4 million potential workers are unemployed, while at the same time there are a record 10.9 million jobs open. In “Why everybody’s hiring but nobody’s getting hired,” Vox reporters Rani Molla and Emily Stewart cite multiple reasons for the seeming incongruity—from higher expectations for better pay, benefits, and flexibility to software algorithms that filter out qualified candidates.

Despite the abundance of open jobs—and the frustration of corporate recruiters—candidates are finding it’s not so easy to get past the robots and through the door to hiring managers.

What employers are looking for is agility. If you can demonstrate that in your story and pull those elements out when you’re in person, you have the best shot.

Tim Brackney, RGP President and COO

In the article, Tim said part of the reason for the mismatch is that required skills are changing faster than ever, as companies frequently adopt new technology. That means candidates need to show that they can roll with constant change and continually upgrade their skills to keep up, as Tim explained in a related Vox article, “How to make your job search suck a little less.”

“What employers are looking for is agility,” Tim says. “If you can demonstrate that in your story and pull those elements out when you’re in person, you have the best shot.”