Review: “Why good people can’t get Jobs” by Peter Cappelli

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Conventional Wisdom
Way Forward
Conclusions and Information from the Book
Works Cited

Introduction

With the current high rate of unemployment in the United States, it is hard to believe that companies are not getting the skilled employees they require. This fact made Peter Cappelli publish his book, which focuses on the overall issue of unemployment and the skill shortage.

Dr. Peter Cappelli is a professor of management at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School and the director of Wharton Centre for Human Resources. The book by Peter Cappelli looks at what the author describes as conventional wisdom in regards to why people cannot get jobs, how employers or educational institutions are being guarded by the government, as well as the necessary changes to be done on the issue.

Conventional Wisdom

In his book Cappelli explains that employers and most people in the business world have formed the reasons of why people cannot get the required jobs. An example of this so-called “conventional wisdom” (Cappelli 9) is the education system which to be blamed for, meaning that not many efforts or sources are applied in the training of employees.

Another reason why companies are not getting the employees they need according to conventional wisdom is because of the government’s inability to allow immigration of skilled labour. It is believed that companies demand a lot of skills from their employees, thus, they are facing the problem of finding those who satisfy them.

He says, “Getting candidates who can work at a wage that will still allow the company to make money is really hard to do” (Cappelli 9). Some companies also claim that they experience problems in filling up positions in their firms because the employees lack proper skills, talents or necessary experience.

He claims, “Manpower Group reports that 52 percent of the US employers surveyed say they have difficulties in filling positions because of talent shortages” (Cappelli 13). This drawback is a barrier to their employment.

When critiquing this reason, Cappelli claims that this is a huge myth, and that the employers are responsible for this since they provide low salaries but expect a lot from their employees. He also pinpoints that skills are not the only requirement at every workplace meaning that with little experience, some of the jobs can be done easily even by a less experienced workforce.

Most employers are critical of the training provided to their future employees in the training institutions. Cappelli dismisses this reason as an inadequate one by reporting, “Blaming the schools and applicants is not the solution…the way we’re doing things now is just not working” (14). He claims that employees are using the employees to gauge their performance instead of using their technical abilities and managerial skills.

In regards to the training shortage, he claims that companies are no longer offering apprenticeship programs leading to graduates being highly trained yet with poor skills.

He also states that new employees often get little training in the new companies, however, expectations of the employers after the first few months of their training and work are high matching those of long-serving employees; as a result, people line up to get chances for a few available slots for internship even when they are unpaid; some of the interns pay the companies for a chance of internship training.

He says, “If they can’t find someone with the precise skills they need, they can hire someone with basic abilities and then train her to do the job” (Cappelli 22). Businesses in the US adopt a policy on training employees by providing internship positions as in other countries, for example, Europe.

The other real reason why employers are not getting the employees they need is because there is a failure of imagination. He claims that employers are investing too much in the employees but not their training. They are also offering too low salaries as compared to the expectations that they have from them.

In fact, Cappelli highlights, “If you can raise your wages high enough, you can get them (Candidates)” (23). There are more things that companies can do to attract skilled employees. For those people who they perceive as not matching their training standards, they can do more to aid in their training.

Way Forward

As stated in the above explanations, the main problems in the employment industry are the government, training institutions, and employers. It is, therefore, apt to look at the necessary steps that the key players in this industry can take to improve the functioning of the labour market in terms of its staffing and training.

In his book Cappelli offers to use collaboration between employers and training institutions where companies specify the curriculum that they need in the institutions of learning. This step will equip the employees with the necessary skills according to the employers.

Even the older workers, whose competence in the industry has been surpassed by time and the evolving competitions, need to further their expertise. Cappelli suggests that the employees should pay some part of their training while investing most of their time in training while the employee helps in subsidising the tuition fees for them.

The other suggestion that Cappelli propels consists in the fact that companies should start internship programs where interns can get a chance to train in the companies for small wages at the same time adapting to the working environment.

This step is not different from the training of employees at schools. It can save the companies’ money which is necessary for the training, while at the same time benefiting them by means of cheap labour.

There are many companies in Europe, which give internship programs for students in their respective careers. The organizations in the country should also take such a stance in order to galvanize the students. The government can also assist by providing funded internship slots for students in the various training fields in the country.

The educational institutions should constantly review their curriculum to ensure that the training provided to students meets the prevailing market needs. Cappelli observed that internal employees who get promotions to take up the vacant posts filled most of the positions in companies, which is a relatively small number.

He further emphasizes that employees in the company should fill most of the new job vacancies. The step can be considered a good way out since people holding the new positions are not actually new to the company, which can be beneficial because they bring continuity and skills gained in their previous employment positions.

By promoting the already employed, the company will be able to establish a sustainable employee pool with the desired training and knowledge of all requirements. It will also provide competition within the workforce leading to more employees’ output.

The government has a central role to play in the employment industry by formulation of regulations on training and employment. It can influence the hiring process in industries that would lead to reduced unemployment. One of the ways of doing this is the formation of programs to oversee the employment procedures in the industries.

Conclusions and Information from the Book

Cappelli’s book provides a useful lesson to learn on employees’ requirements and their mentality. Being an employee, the information in the book will provide him or her with ideas on how to approach the job market, what is expected of the him/her, and what the person is likely to achieve when looking for a job. It is clear that the employers put more emphasis on the training and skills available.

It is, therefore, important for the employees to get an internship position in a field of one’s choice to survey the existing markets before engaging in training for a particular job. It is evident that the training achieved is of importance in the future. Therefore, to satisfy their needs, it is crucial to achieve a work experience in combination with skills and talents.

There are various ways that the author claims companies are using to judge the performance of employees besides their performance in their jobs. These include the character and behaviours of the individuals that are not necessarily related to their job. It is thus important to form a relationship with employers to win their hearts and minds even as technical performance continues.

Future companies will demand more from their employees to make sure that the technical skills remain relevant. It is necessary for employees to keep themselves updated regarding the current practice. It is, consequently, important to do a constant training for employees.

This book also stresses on the fact that the employer is responsible for the training. When employed, a person expects to continue training under the company’s support. Cappelli states his argument in a clear and orderly manner, thus, proving that the current conventional wisdom needs review and replacement by good business actions. This book is, therefore, useful for the personal navigation of the job market.

Works Cited

Cappelli, Peter. Why good people can’t get Jobs: The Skills Gap and what Companies can do about it. Philadelphia, PA: Wharton Digital Press, 2012. Print.

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