This is pretty interesting and probably is getting at something true. We can all likely agree that there are thresholds of desired skills and proficiency above which no one is likely to exist that matches the profile. However, like Dagon, I am somewhat skeptical of the overall argument because it seems to disregard self-selection as a means of reducing the pool of applicants and improving the overall matching of skills being selected for to those being brought by the average applicant.
Furthermore, it seems we are treating skills as though they are coming from a single pot and being chosen at random to create the profile of our desired candidate. But often skills come in clusters which are probabilistically tied to each other — not hard to believe given standardization of curriculum in formal education.
From an economic standpoint, a lucrative position with certain prerequisite qualifications will create a demand to be filled. Even if no one suitable presently exists, crafting the position with sufficient appeal to overcome the cost of self-training ensures that a supply will emerge eventually. As jimrandomh and Gunnar_Zarncke touch on, there is also a factor of how easily people pick up certain skills which, if possible select for, would make training much more competitive with selection.
This is pretty interesting and probably is getting at something true. We can all likely agree that there are thresholds of desired skills and proficiency above which no one is likely to exist that matches the profile. However, like Dagon, I am somewhat skeptical of the overall argument because it seems to disregard self-selection as a means of reducing the pool of applicants and improving the overall matching of skills being selected for to those being brought by the average applicant.
Furthermore, it seems we are treating skills as though they are coming from a single pot and being chosen at random to create the profile of our desired candidate. But often skills come in clusters which are probabilistically tied to each other — not hard to believe given standardization of curriculum in formal education.
From an economic standpoint, a lucrative position with certain prerequisite qualifications will create a demand to be filled. Even if no one suitable presently exists, crafting the position with sufficient appeal to overcome the cost of self-training ensures that a supply will emerge eventually. As jimrandomh and Gunnar_Zarncke touch on, there is also a factor of how easily people pick up certain skills which, if possible select for, would make training much more competitive with selection.