Employers must do all they can to retain top talent and attract great people.

As the business world tries to define its post-COVID landscape, the media is full of news stories about the CEOs who want their employees to return to the office after working from home for two years. Many of these stories seem to paint these CEOs as cruel "monsters" for enacting back-to-the-office policies. But this interpretation is a mistake.

An organization has a skills gap when a tension exists between what it needs to accomplish and what its employees are capable of doing. To some degree, most organizations find themselves in this situation today, thanks to factors such as the retirement of older workers, economic changes, and the continued lightning-fast evolution in technology. By examining some key data points about the skills gap, though, companies can be better prepared to understand its significance and take steps to address it.