Is there really a shortage of talent or do organizations make it so hard for applicants to apply for a job that they just give up?  How can we select the best if we never talk to the best?

Picture this:  The job candidate finds a job online that is a perfect match to his skill set.  The applicant follows the online instructions to apply for the position only to receive an error message indicating that the transaction cannot be completed.  The candidate refuses to give up and several clicks later the applicant finds the phone number, fax number and name of someone in HR.  The persistent applicant calls the person in HR and leaves a message.  The HR person is so busy that she does not have time to return the call.  The applicant faxes a copy of his resume and cover letter.  Several hours later the applicant calls the person in HR again.  This time, as luck would have it, he reaches a voice on the other end of the phone only to find out that she is not the person who is handling the recruitment efforts for that position.  She kindly refers the applicant to the person who is doing the hiring for the position.  This time the applicant is told that he now needs to email his resume and cover letter to an entirely new email address even though his resume is sitting on the fax machine. 

Tell me�?�.fact or fiction? Stayed tuned for the answer next week.