No matter what circumstances influence the workforce more broadly, most companies consistently compete to hire for specific skill sets. This can lead to roles remaining empty for months, particularly during periods of high turnover. Traditional hiring methodologies need help to close the talent gaps at pace.

Talent gaps expand when organizations reflexively allocate an increasing number of vital competencies to a limited number of employees. Over time, this process creates weaknesses that can derail productivity when unforeseen circumstances shake the workforce.

The problem begins with the instinct to hire a single expert capable of covering every aspect of a role and a little extra. Over time, these superstars are given more and more responsibility until they become impossible to replace because no new hire can shoulder the list of competencies that the organization now requires.

For example, there is a tendency to hunt for an engineer with excellent soft communication skills. Those people exist but are rare, and communication requirements are optional for their roles. A better approach would be to break down the role’s requirements and restructure the tasks to rely on competencies from other employees.

Breaking down and restructuring improves the allocation of employee competencies and diminishes the threat of potential skill bottlenecks. This could be accomplished by outsourcing to contractors, borrowing skill sets from within different departments, or hiring additional employees with overlapping competencies.

Rather than sinking enormous time, money, and responsibility into an irreplaceable employee, consider the benefits of distributing the required tasks among a larger team. This approach can increase consistency and long-term stability even during periods of uncertainty. It also has the advantage of creating opportunities for hiring employees of greater diversity (as tasks are decoupled from rigid role requirements) and for remote hiring (as functions are evaluated to determine whether staff are required to be physically present).

Restructuring your organization’s work processes cannot be done quickly, nor should it be. Instead, look for areas where excessive responsibility on key individuals could cause problems. Then, consider how their responsibilities could be unpacked and reallocated so these high-value team members are free to do their best work with appropriate support, and there is less danger of suddenly needing to hire a unicorn in their absence.