The majority of employers are facing skilled talent shortages. Here are three ways HR can help.

Something’s in the air, and it has a familiar scent…talent shortage.

White- and blue-collar workers continue to experience a split labor market. Corporate America is reducing its workforce, while the manufacturing and operations industries, for example, are contending with a tight talent pool. As a result, 74% of the over 40,000 global employers surveyed by ManpowerGroup in October reported having a skilled talent shortage.

“Certain skill sets, certain industries, you see some deep need for talent,” said Rajesh Namboothiry, SVP at Manpower North America. “The talent shortage has still not gone away. We’re still living in a world where talent is short…Demand exceeds supply.”

Some industries may continue facing gaps until employers improve their recruitment and retention strategies, he told HR Brew, suggesting a “multi-pronged” solution, in which HR in blue-collar industries focus on three key areas: pay, location, and upskilling.

Pay. “It is going to be critical for them to continue to look at the right wage for the right talent,” he said, later adding that ManpowerGroup’s staffing firms have “candidates coming in and saying, ‘I’m making $20 an hour. How do I make $60 an hour?’...That’s the conversation talent is wanting to have.”

Location. Leaders should ask themselves if their companies are located in geographies where the talent they need is based, Namboothiry said. If not, they should then consider if moving their operations will help them access the talent they need.

Upskilling. As many industries increasingly emphasize skills over degrees, Namboothiry said it will be important for HR to offer current employees the learning and development they need to obtain the certifications and experiences for hard-to-fill jobs.

“I think it’s a combination of all…but it’s not one easy answer,” he said.