With the challenging economic conditions, one must think that hiring talent would have become easier. Surprisingly, it is not the case, and most company leaders are still struggling to attract and retain top talent. This was one of the takeaways from a recent report from U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics, which showed that there were job vacancies of over 10 million by the end of the year 2022.

Confirming the trend was the Harvard Business Review when they surveyed around 800 senior business leaders last August to find out that more than 95% of them considered hiring and retaining talent as one of their top three priorities. More than two-thirds or the leaders surveyed said that filling positions with for lower and higher wage workers was the crucial for them to compete in the next 5 years.

Dearth of Talent

According to statistics, one of the areas that is in dire need of talent is tech. The demand has further grown due to the drive-in digital transformation over the years.

According to the January job report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the unemployment rate for the technology job market fell to 1.5% . In fact, it is estimated that 109,000 IT (Information Technology) jobs were left unfulfilled  that month due to a lack of qualified candidates. That gap may prove hard to fill as employment in computer and IT occupations will grow 15% from 2021 to 2031, eclipsing the average of all occupations.

In Europe, the tech talent gap will only expand, according to a McKinsey Report, that predicts the talent gap to fall between 1.4 million and 3.9 million people by 2027 within the EU.

Amazon announced plans to hire 55,000 new people in the US and Facebook another 10,000 European tech employees to build its Metaverse proposition. And yet there is not enough talent. Germany alone needs to hire 780,000 tech specialists by 2026 to meet current requirements, while nearly 3.5 million cyber security jobs were left unfilled in 2021.

HTD (Hire Train Deploy) Success: What to Keep in Mind

Clearly there is a significant and ongoing skills gap across all sectors. So, what is the antidote to this? Based on findings from HBR, organizations need to use a more expansive practices to strengthen their ability to recruit talent. One such model is the HTD, Hire Train Deploy model.

The HTD is an apprenticeship program for candidates with basic qualifications and skills but have the potential to be trained in relevant skills required to bridge the skill gap in organizations. While the idea is still new to many, it has been proven effective. The early investment sets the stage for a scalable, more formal, and competitive workforce.

The transformative power of Hire Train model can help businesses unlock their path to success. Embracing the hire train deploy strategy can revolutionize how you attract, train, and engage talent.

But before that, you need to choose the right program that best fits your business needs. In order to do that you need to focus on certain aspects of the program offered by the vendor.

1. Program reach

The HTD programs can vary depending on the vendor’s offering. The program may have either.

• Limited trainers, both geographically and in terms of the extent to which they can create content
• More trainers and massive scope to create content for technical, non-technical and industry related business areas.

2. Flexibility

Initially, the model did not offer a lot of flexibility and it was more of a “take it or leave it” situation. But not anymore. If you want the HTD model to work, you must

• shape the model according to your business needs, regardless of the limitations.
• Customize your curriculum.
• Go easy on the terms of the contract and make it reasonable.

3. Approach to training

Do not fall into the trap of the “train the trainer” approach. It is a loop where a vendor trains a program graduate to be a trainer, that trainer trains another graduate to be a trainer and so on, wherein you end up with trainers with no actual credibility and have never actually been in the real world of teaching.

If you want trainees who understand how to be impactful, choose a vendor who-

• Hires industry experts to train graduates
• Hires people with genuine experience
• Can create the right content

4. Awareness of trainee experience

Talking from an employer’s perspective, a hire train deploy program reflects the company’s image.

• It is built to support the organization’s business needs
• It is a program where trainees are being trained for you
• Trainees will launch their career and perhaps even continue their journey with you.

Basically, the program is made for you!

Ultimately, the one thing you need to make sure when you launch the HTD program is to provide good support mechanisms to help trainees gain the best out of the program to succeed and grow.

The Employer’s Gain from HTD

1. An agile program that translates to a quality workforce

It is the era of rapid transformation. To meet the dynamic demands of the market you must think beyond traditional recruitment strategies and focus on being more agile. HTD allows organizations to pick candidates based on their mindset and learning potential rather than just qualifications. This helps them seize the opportunity swiftly and respond to market shifts with the speed and confidence required in the constantly evolving fast-paced environment.

2. Reduced expenses and higher ROI

Recruitment is a costly affair as it involves various tasks like screening, sourcing, and onboarding. With the hire train deploy model, you can create a talent pipeline that aligns with your business needs as you get to tap into untouched and unseen potential looking to grow and succeed given the right training opportunities. HTD is a strategic investment that not only helps in reducing hiring costs and saving valuable resources but also nurtures a loyal workforce translating to a greater productivity.

3. Fuels innovation and progress

In recent times, HTD has been one of the best innovative solutions that has effectively addressed the abundance of skill gaps in the labour market. HTD’s approach to identify and train candidates with skills that are needed for the growth of the business is the need of the hour. The approach not only fuels forward thinking but also paves the way for innovation and future growth and sustainability.

4. Fosters engagement and retention

Employees are the soul of every organization. Keeping them engaged and happy is the key to the success of your organization. HTD is more than just recruitment. It is a comprehensive model that offers training opportunities and professional development, helping candidates discover their true potential, guiding them through their aspirations and growth.

Not only does this result in a highly engaged workforce but also boosts employer brand reputation.

A Notable Example of the Successful Implementation of Hire Train Deploy Model

A well-known banking institution in India with 10 million accounts and counting, was facing an issue with their relationship managers. They discovered that they needed training on basic communication skills, people skills and banking concepts as well. The skills of the managers also did not seem to align with the company’s goals and required training in specific software that were frequently used at work. All this gave rise to a lengthy onboarding process which ran over for months.

It changed once the HR (Human Resources) company stepped in, shortlisted candidates, and hired them after extensive screening, modified the training content based on the requirements and then deployed them in the positions they were selected for. This led to increased employee engagement due to increased confidence, marked improvement in customer satisfaction, and consequently maximized the bank’s ROI.

Get a Competitive Edge with the HTD Approach

The quest for talent is competitive in today’s world. It is time to shift focus from the traditional recruitment methods and invest in employee training and development to help unlock their full potential. The Hire train deploy approach is a transformative force that helps organizations foster a culture of continuous learning, adaptability, and growth.

Alp Consulting has partnered with large IT industries in India to develop a hire-train-deploy intensive training camp suitable for apprentices, who are ready to be trained in relevant skills required by organizations, to bridge their skills gaps.

If you are an employer looking to transform your business with a solid workforce, embrace the HTD model. It will help in building a talent pipeline and position you at the forefront of innovation and success in today’s business landscape.

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