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Date: 12/02/2025
Author: Francisco Massó Mora

THE TALENT SHORTAGE: A PROBLEM OF CULTURE AND CONDITIONS, NOT JUST PROFILES.

According to data collected by Hays, based on a survey of more than 5,600 companies and professionals and published in their “2025 Labor Market Guide”, 89% of companies report difficulties in finding qualified professionals, an 8% increase from 2024.

I can’t stand this type, as it reflects a recurring issue in the labor market: the apparent paradox between the talent shortage and professionals’ dissatisfaction with their working conditions.

First, the difficulty companies face in finding qualified talent is not a new phenomenon, but the arguments presented to justify it tend to be one-dimensional. It is insisted that professionals’ salary expectations are high, but the fact that 65% of workers believe their salary does not match their work is often overlooked. This discrepancy suggests that the problem is not just the lack of available talent, but the companies’ willingness to offer truly competitive conditions.

Second, it is mentioned that 69% of professionals are actively seeking another job, highlighting a retention crisis. However, instead of delving into the structural causes of this phenomenon, the focus is placed on the “high competition between companies” and the lack of workers in certain sectors, as if it were an external problem to the organizations. However, the data itself shows that employees leave their jobs primarily due to a lack of growth opportunities, internal disorganization, and low pay. Wouldn’t it be more logical for companies to refocus their strategies to address these problems, rather than simply pointing to the deficit of professionals?

Another questionable aspect is the apparent contradiction between investment in training and the perception of talent’s qualifications. While 98% of professionals believe they are prepared for their role, one in four companies thinks they lack the necessary talent. Is there a real skills mismatch, or is it more of an issue with how companies define the profiles they are looking for? Additionally, while 43% of companies plan to increase their investment in training, this measure seems more reactive than preventive, suggesting a lack of long-term planning in talent management.

Finally, the salary policy described reveals a conservative stance by companies, with moderate increases and 26% of companies having no intention of raising salaries. While financial sustainability is crucial, it is hard to ignore that the perception of inadequate pay remains a structural problem. In this sense, although it is mentioned that additional benefits can play a key role in retention, there is little discussion on what types of incentives are being offered and how effective they are in compensating for salary deficiencies.

If companies truly want to attract and retain talent, they must rethink not only their hiring policies but also their organizational model, workplace culture, and employee value proposition.

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