Employers could face lack of skilled workers

Nearly nine out of 10 people are staying in jobs they hate just to have work, according to an annual study conducted by Randstad North America.

But when the economy improves and the incentive to leave increases, experts predict employers will face a severe shortage of skilled workers.

Employees have adopted a survivor attitude after an economic recession that resulted in a loss of 2.7 million jobs. Stability and security appear to be the top priorities of employees now, despite long hours and few benefits.

Don Wilson, assistant manager of a job placement service center in Greensboro, said he noticed similar trends.

"A number of people won't give up what they've got until they find something concrete," he said.

But employees simply are not satisfied and, as history has shown, discontent is never contained for long.

"Employers are going to have to offer employees more," said Jennifer Hill, a senior branch manager for Randstad North America.

And the offers will have to be more than just a paycheck increase. Hill said salary was the key driver in the late 1990s, but employees' priorities have changed.

"Employers have to ask themselves what employees want," Hill said. "Employers think they know what employees want, but no, that's not the case."

The study, which is based on interviews from 2,639 employees and employers in North America, shows health and insurance benefits and finding the work satisfying tie for the most important factors in employees deciding to stay at their jobs.

Flexible hours and opportunities for advancement also are on the list of priorities. According to the study, if there is nowhere to go inside the organization, employees might conclude that the only direction to go is out the door.

New economic optimism reveals a growing number of employees looking at the economy and taking more control of their careers.

And as the baby boomer generation approaches retirement, companies might see these attitudes surfacing more rapidly than expected.

Some employees are noticing the need for greater incentives to combat emerging worker shortages.

"We're dying for people," said Jay Madsen, an employee for Banc of America Securities. "We need people."

Contact the State & National Editor at stntdesk@unc.edu.