We're Shocked: A Post-Recessionary Management Skill Gap!

Well isn't this fascinating!

According to the results of a recent Trendsetter survey conducted by PriceWaterhouseCoopers, most of the 243 chief executives (CEOs/CFOs) responding say that their organizations are facing skill gaps that must be addressed in order to meet their business objectives over the next 1 to 2 years.

The largest skill gap cited among private companies?  Middle management talent ... according to 53% of participants.

But wait! Weren't middle management jobs and management training resources among the hardest hit in the recessionary reductions of the last few years?  And now - suddenly - our leaders realize we're critically short of middle management talent?

Who could have predicted that managers would turn out to be important to business success?

(And yes, that is the late Peter Drucker looking down at us, shaking his head and enjoying a good chuckle.)

Image courtesy of maiyaiai.blogspot.com

Comments

[LoyalNation]

It is amazing and shocking that with our unemployment rate, and a mass exodus of middle level management during the recession, more companies aren't addressing employee retention and employee satisfaction in the workplace.

[E James (Jim) Brennan]

SSDD. When I was first "promoted" from compensation to personnel development (training & dev), my first thought was that I had an average of 2 years before the next economic dip cycle would find T&D eliminated. Think I lasted almost 2.5 years before it happened. It is typical short-term instinct for every enterprise to immediately shut down its non-critical functions whenever a severe budget pinch occurs. That is also why so many managers cleverly stockpile surplus personnel as the sacrifical lambs in such situations.

[Ann Bares]

LN:

I think there are those who would suggest that our unemployment rate, still too high, is behind the complacency which prompty companies not to address workplace and retention.

Jim:

So true. Some things never change ...

Thanks for the comments!

[Cynthia Letsch]

I find it very difficult to believe there is a shortage of people with the skill-set to be middle managers. I think that some companies are just not looking in the right places, such as refusing to seriously consider those who have been unemployed for more than a few weeks. Why do I think this? Aside from being an HR professional, I know several people with middle level management skills who are not able to get past the initial screening because there is a stigma against people who have been unemployed for any length of time.... must be something wrong with them. Also, there is this really great idea someone had sometime ago.... grow your own. Select employees you feel have the intellect and personality to make good managers and provide them with the training to be good managers. This has the added benefit of creating employee loyalty.