For going on a decade manufacturers have been complaining about a lack of skilled workers. Some have been very proactive in developing connections with trade schools, high schools, universities, and apprenticeship programs.

Others choose to rely on internet software to take the process of identifying solid potential employees off internal resources. Some automation makes sense and works well. Other automation reduces workload for current employees, but does little to improve productive output.

Is that software identifying the best for you?

More likely it is rejecting highly qualified people who don't match the search criteria you specified.

The United States brings in about 1,000,000 immigrants per year with an immediate green card and the right to work. Additionally, with recent international upset, the number of refugee immigrants has increased. Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans obviously make up a significant percentage of those, recently augmented by Ukrainians.

Many of those immigrants were very productive citizens in their former homes and are intent on becoming the same here.

But the universities on their resumes likely don't match the search requirements you've specified for your software. The job titles may not either. The format may not enable them to provide their full native name.

If we put up enough obstacles, we can overlook Nobel prize winners.

Every city of any size has one or more immigrant support centers to help arriving people find a place to stay and something to eat. Many teach English, both verbal and written, to those who need or want it.

Are you aware of them? Have you researched that potential source of great workers?

Like residents of this country, they struggle with child care as they seek work.

If immigrants can figure out our culture, our business models, our legal and tax systems, surely we can figure out how to hire them legally.

Chances are your legal resources are not immigration experts. Chances are anticipation of administrative burden of hiring an immigrant feels overwhelming, and is thus avoided. But chances are its much easier than you imagine.

Chances are you could find some of the good workers you seek by looking other than where you always look.

As Henry Ford once said, "“If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got”.