CNO CEO: Skills Gap is ‘Very Real’

The chief executive officer of Carmel-based CNO Financial Group Inc. (NYSE: CNO) says a skills gap in Indiana is “definitely” a hurdle as the company looks to add workers. Ed Bonach says many candidates are lacking basic communication and technical skills needed for CNO's customer service positions. He adds Indiana is also not producing enough college graduates to fill the company's higher-level openings. Bonach believes an improved education system would help attract and retain top talent. Bonach addressed Indiana's approach to the skills gap on Inside INdiana Business Television. Bonach says many applicants for CNO's customer service positions lack in basic technical skills including using computers, the Internet or spreadsheets. He says some also lag in reading and writing skills.

He says Indiana's recent “education weekend” was a step in the right direction. The effort was designed to help point students toward careers that match their interests and educate them about the required qualifications for those positions.

Sources: CNO Financial Group Inc., Inside INdiana Business