三和一善 | Why “gray-collar” workers may just be the answer to the post-pandemic rec

Posted by Kazuyoshi Sanwa on November 12th, 2021

The combination of pandemics, big resignations, and widespread recruitment challenges have forced us to readjust the way we talk about the workforce long ago. As organizations strive to fill shortages, retain exhausted employees, and meet new expectations for remote work, employees have become important stakeholders. But the conversation in the workplace is still inadequate because it divides the population into two categories—white-collar and blue-collar—while ignoring the so-called “gray-collar” workers.

Gray-collar workers are an important subset of the labor force that exists at the intersection of technology and service roles. They use both physical and technical skills at work, and they usually fall into the basic worker category, including numerous healthcare professionals, teachers, firefighters, government workers, and police. These people have kept the economy running and ensured their health throughout the pandemic, but in the current conversation about the future of work, their needs have been ignored.

At the same time, organizations in the health care, education, and law enforcement agencies face particularly urgent shortages of personnel. In order to alleviate recruitment challenges and a future-oriented workforce, organizations must recognize the unique needs of gray-collar workers and make changes to address these needs. Here are a few important places to start.

Give due respect to gray-collar work

An important step in hiring and retaining gray-collar workers is to value and reshape these key positions. These workers helped us through the pandemic and deserve the respect and recognition they deserve. Their role is highly specialized and requires mastery of modern technology, but even during the entire pandemic, their rewards have been underestimated and underestimated. The problem is the mistaken belief that individuals in these jobs are easily replaced. But in fact, it\'s not.

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Organizations must reconsider job descriptions, compensation, and benefits to recognize current gray-collar workers and encourage young workers to become interested in these roles. Organizations that rely on these positions are making slow progress in adopting flexible workplace processes, such as remote or partially mixed work options for training and meetings, which will provide gray-collar workers with more agency rights even when working on the front lines. Attracting these hottest people requires rethinking appropriate and relevant benefits, such as flexibility, autonomy, and increased pay as much as possible.

Reconsider the degree requirements for these roles

Only one-third of the adult labor force has a bachelor\'s degree. However, many organizations require a four-year degree to obtain positions that were not required a few years ago. This so-called \"degree inflation\" has caused many industries to face talent shortages and recruitment challenges. In fact, researchers estimate that there are currently 6.2 million jobs facing the risk of degree inflation. By 2030, the talent shortage may reach 8.5 million people and unrealized annual income of 8.5 trillion U.S. dollars.

Industries that employ gray-collar workers have unique opportunities that can ease recruitment challenges and create opportunities for a wider range of individuals by rethinking degree requirements. Gray-collar workers are skilled professionals, many of whom have completed two or more years of study to obtain an associate degree or professional certification. Their role usually requires extensive on-the-job training. By investing in training and onboarding rather than recruiting, organizations can attract talented, high-potential candidates who may not have a four-year degree for any reason unrelated to their job potential. This will not only expand the pool of available candidates, it will also help address the long-standing inequalities and biases in the recruitment process.

Invest in retraining to expand the talent pool

Another way to expand the gray-collar talent pool and prepare existing employees for changing job demands is to invest in retraining programs. The pandemic and the shift to remote work has accelerated the digitization of many roles, including gray-collar positions in healthcare, education, and government services. At the same time, 94% of business leaders stated that they want their employees to acquire new skills at work, up from 65% in 2018. But organizations must support their employees and guide them to relearn their skills. It is unreasonable to expect employees-even potential employees-to use their time and money to re-master their skills.

Apprenticeship is becoming a popular way for employers to create their own workforce by providing training and certification programs. Companies such as Apple, Google, Costco, and IBM have eliminated degree requirements and developed programs that allow individuals to develop work skills through certification and apprenticeship programs. These programs provide training in a range of skills that are easier to teach and learn in practical scenarios than in university classrooms.

By the end of 2020, IBM will train more than 1,000 apprentices and hire most of them. Crucially, their average apprenticeship salary is about 50% higher than the local average income of these people working.

It\'s time to solve the gray-collar blind spot

The talent strategy and future job dialogue that continued to divide the workforce into two categories did not achieve the goal. Only when the organization solves the gray-collar blind spots, can the current recruitment situation be solved. These workers are a valuable source of talent hidden in people’s sight, and the pandemic has already attracted attention to them. By giving gray-collar workers the respect they deserve, reconsidering who is eligible to fill these positions, and investing to further develop this workforce, organizations can gain many benefits.