Accenture offers six strategies for organizations struggling to fill a skills gap.

At a time when finding and keeping talent is a major business challenge, global management consultancy Accenture has conducted an online survey of 1,088 U.S. workers to better understand this talent crisis. The "Accenture Skills Gap Study" aimed to uncover employees attitudes concerning formal training and skill development. The study indicates that workers have the drive to gain greater knowledge and develop skills, but are lacking the necessary support.

Accenture offered the following advice to companies currently grappling with a skills gap, suggesting six strategies for success:

1. Don't wait around for talent to come to you; go out and find what you're looking for.

2. Seek to discover the untapped talent in your own organization.

3. Focus on the basic job requirements, allowing for greater hiring flexibility by looking for growth and development potential in candidates.

4. Create an environment of learning that allows employees to work on developing skills on a regular basis.

5. Redefine responsibilities in a way that highlights talents and existing skills.

6. Clearly define skill requirements for employees, as well as educational institutions and the broader community.

Most organizations are full of employees who have a variety of skills of which their senior leaders may not be aware. David Smith, managing director at Accenture Talent & Organization, recommends several steps that employers can take to discover and optimize this untapped talent: "A few examples include developing a better, more detailed view of the existing skills to match against the skills needs of the business; hiring candidates according to competencies and developable fit, rather than seeking a one-to-one traditional match; and incentivizing lateral moves to give employees the opportunities to learn different parts of the business and develop a more robust portfolio of skills."