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I find it very interesting how we constantly hear in the media about the skills shortage in various industries.

In fact, rather than interesting, it’s probably more honest to say I find it ‘frustrating’.

W.L Bateman said “If you keep on doing what you’ve always done, you’ll keep on getting what you’ve always got.”  I’m sure you’ve heard this quote before and perhaps even used it.

So it constantly amazes me how we have this huge ‘untapped’ resource of women looking to return to the workplace and mature aged adults who would love to come back to work, if a little flexibility was shown.

I was speaking recently with two women who were returning to work after their maternity leave had finished.

One said the company was making it so difficult, she was wondering why she was bothering.  They seem to be stuck on the idea they needed a full-time employee.  As an experienced engineer, she knew she could get through more work in three days than a graduate could get through in five.

The other mentioned her HR Department was very supportive but her new boss was not being flexible at all.

And job-sharing, I’m unsure why on earth more companies don’t look at this as a possibility for filling roles.  If you choose people who are competent and resourceful, they will know how to make it work.  There may be a little guidance needed, but I bet it’s worth the effort.

So, tell me – is it better to have happy, productive part-time employees or a position left unfilled leaving other workers frustrated and overworked?

I have written some articles recently for the Qld Mining & Energy Bulletin and WA Transport magazine addressing some of these issues.  If you would like to read them or any of my other articles, click here to go to my media page.

Although I’m touching specifically about women in my articles, the same issues apply to mature-aged adults who would be delighted to return to the workplace in some capacity.  They bring to the table both job experience and life experience.  They can show leadership from wherever they are, without getting caught up in the fight to get to the top.

As I’ve always said the best person should get the job, but don’t let that mean some women miss out because they haven’t been developed to do the role.  Develop equally, level the playing field and then when the time comes, the person who gets the position/promotion, does so on their own merit and capabilities.

This was the subject of an article “Are Women the Best Leaders?” in the Sydney Morning Herald recently.  Well, are they the best leaders?  Some are, some aren’t!  Women bring different skills and experiences to their roles and leaders should be assessed accordingly.

So now I’ve touched on part-time employment, job sharing, women and leadership.  It brings me to another article recently published by Smart Company in relation to the number of women who start their own businesses due to the lack of flexibility in being able to return to the workplace.  These women must certainly have some ‘get up and go’ because we all know how difficult it is to run a small business successfully and profitability.

The article “Female Entrepreneurs Struggling under Financial Pressure” highlights the many difficulties.  Challenges which I am sure ‘some’ women would gladly give up to return to a workplace which was flexible to the needs of women who have family commitments.

I have now identified women returning to the workplace, mature-aged adults and women in small business all as potential employees.  So I ask the question again “Do we have a skills shortage?”. You tell me.