Hiring managers believe there is a talent shortage among professional and technical skills, but they remain choosy about hiring, according to a new survey released by Kelly Services Inc. (NASD: KELYA).

The survey found 37% of hiring managers report professional and technical candidates they interview are underqualified for the position.

Included in the survey were 1,000 professional and technical hiring managers in the US and Canada representing the accounting/finance, engineering, healthcare, IT and science/clinical sectors.

“Our survey results indicate that nearly half the hiring managers currently perceive a professional and technical talent shortage and most expect there to be long-term shortages for the skill sets and disciplines that they hire,” said Dan Turner, VP of strategic accounts and operations - recruitment at Kelly Services. 

The skills gap is most acute in engineering and healthcare with IT coming next.

Despite the skills gap, professional and technical hiring managers are still choosy and evaluating candidates on such dimensions as cultural fit with 69% saying that is an important assessment of candidates.

“The recent [professional and technical] Hiring Manager survey also indicates, that in terms of skills, hiring managers are most challenged with finding candidates that have the right mix of hard skills and universal soft skills — including the ability to listen and comprehend, a sense of personal accountability, and a strong, positive attitude,” Turner said. 

The survey also found:

• 65% know within 15 minutes if someone is the right fit or not.
• 73% say being on time, polite and well-groomed are essential for candidates to put their best foot forward.
• 74% say candidates need to be able to articulate their personal accomplishments and weaknesses.
• 85% say acting arrogant or not grateful for an interview would prevent a candidate from advancing to the next stage.
• 82% say inappropriate use of a mobile phone or texting during the interview would likely end a candidate’s chance of success.
• 66% say candidates should be informed about the company’s key products and services to improve their odds of success.
• Nearly half stressed improving both the quality and quantity of questions that candidates ask during the interview process would improve their odds of success.