Estimating workforce skill misalignments using social networks

1. A method performed by an online social network having members, the method comprising:

using one or more computer processors to perform operations of:

receiving, from a computing device operated by a user, a selection of a set of geographical regions and a selection of a skill cluster;

calculating for each respective geographical region in the selected set of geographical regions:

a respective supply for the selected skill cluster as a first respective standardized score corresponding to a first respective percentage of skilled members in the respective geographical region whose respective member profile indicates possession of the selected skill cluster;

a respective demand for the selected skill cluster as a second respective standardized score corresponding to a second respective percentage of job-switching members in the respective geographical region whose respective member profile indicates possession of the selected skill cluster;

a respective skills misalignment for the selected skill cluster as the respective difference between the respective demand and the respective supply;

generating a user interface including the calculated skills misalignments of each respective geographical region in the selected set of geographical regions; and

transmitting the generated user interface to the computing device;

wherein the user interface comprises a multi-quadrant graph; and

wherein the skills misalignment of each respective geographic region is represented by a quadrant in which a ratio of the respective supply and the respective demand is located, thereby permitting a comparison of ratios of the respective supply and the respective demand for each respective geographical region.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein to indicate possession of the selected skill cluster by a respective member includes the respective member profile listing at least one skill name of a skill belonging to the selected skill cluster.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein a skilled member has a member profile on the online social network that includes at least one skill name.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein a job-switching member has a member profile on the online social network that includes at least two chronologically adjacent experience sections indicating a change in employment of the job-switching member.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the first respective percentage includes:

determining a first set of members, a respective member in the first set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing a skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective member and belonging to the selected skill cluster;

determining a second set of skilled members, a respective member in the second set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing at least one skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective skilled member; and

calculating the first respective percentage by dividing a quantity of members in the first set by a quantity of skilled members in the second set.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein calculating the second respective percentage includes:

determining a first set of members, a respective member in the first set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing a skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective member and belonging to the selected skill cluster;

determining a second set of job-switching members, a respective job-switching member in the second set having a respective member profile listing:

a skill, belonging to the selected skill cluster, as possessed by the respective job-switching member; and

a plurality of chronologically adjacent experience sections indicating a change in employment of the respective job-switching member; and

calculating the second respective percentage by dividing a quantity of job-switching members in the second set by a quantity of members in the first set.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein at least two chronologically adjacent experience sections of the plurality of chronologically adjacent experience sections are within a selected period of recency.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein a respective member of the online social network is in a selected geographical region upon the respective member profile of the respective member indicating the respective member either: lives, works, desires to live, or desires to work in the selected geographical region.

9. A social networking system comprising:

a machine including a processor; and

a machine-readable medium comprising machine-readable instructions that, when executed by the machine, cause the machine to:

receive, from a computing device operated by a user, a selection of a set of geographical regions and a selection of a skill cluster;

calculate for each respective geographical region in the selected set of geographical regions:

a respective supply for the selected skill cluster as a first respective standardized score corresponding to a first respective percentage of skilled members in the respective geographical region whose respective member profile indicates possession of the selected skill cluster;

a respective demand for the selected skill cluster as a second respective standardized score corresponding to a second respective percentage of job-switching members in the respective geographical region whose respective member profile indicates possession of the selected skill cluster;

a respective skills misalignment for the selected skill cluster as the respective difference between the respective demand and the respective supply;

generate a user interface including the calculated skills misalignments of each respective geographical region in the selected set of geographical regions; and

transmit the generated user interface to the computing device.

10. The social networking system of claim 9 , wherein to indicate possession of the selected skill cluster by a respective member includes the respective member profile listing at least one skill name of a skill belonging to the selected skill cluster.

11. The social networking system of claim 9 , wherein a skilled member has a member profile on the online social network that includes at least one skill name.

12. The social networking system of claim 9 , wherein a job-switching member has a member profile on the online social network that includes at least two chronologically adjacent experience sections indicating a change in employment of the job-switching member.

13. The social networking system of claim 9 , wherein to calculate the first respective percentage includes to:

determine a first set of members, a respective member in the first set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing a skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective member and belonging to the selected skill cluster;

determine a second set of skilled members, a respective member in the second set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing at least one skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective skilled member; and

calculate the first respective percentage by dividing a quantity of members in the first set by a quantity of skilled members in the second set.

14. The social networking system of claim 9 , wherein to calculate the second respective percentage includes to:

determine a first set of members, a respective member in the first set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing a skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective member and belonging to the selected skill cluster;

determine a second set of job-switching members, a respective job-switching member in the second set having a respective member profile listing:

a skill, belonging to the selected skill cluster, as possessed by the respective job-switching member; and

a plurality of chronologically adjacent experience sections indicating a change in employment of the respective job-switching member; and

calculate the second respective percentage by dividing a quantity of job-switching members in the second set by a quantity of members in the first set.

15. The social networking system of claim 14 , wherein at least two chronologically adjacent experience sections of the plurality of chronologically adjacent experience sections are within a selected period of recency.

16. The social networking system of claim 9 , wherein a respective member of the online social network is in a selected geographical region upon the respective member profile of the respective member indicating the respective member either: lives, works, desires to live, or desires to work in the selected geographical region.

17. A machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a machine, cause the machine to:

receive, from a computing device operated by a user, a selection of a set of geographical regions and a selection of a skill cluster;

calculate for each respective geographical region in the selected set of geographical regions:

a respective supply for the selected skill cluster as a first respective standardized score corresponding to a first respective percentage of skilled members in the respective geographical region whose respective member profile indicates possession of the selected skill cluster;

a respective demand for the selected skill cluster as a second respective standardized score corresponding to a second respective percentage of job-switching members in the respective geographical region whose respective member profile indicates possession of the selected skill cluster;

a respective skills misalignment for the selected skill cluster as the respective difference between the respective demand and the respective supply;

generate a user interface including the calculated skills misalignments of each respective geographical region in the selected set of geographical regions; and

transmit the generated user interface to the computing device.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein to indicate possession of the selected skill cluster by a respective member includes the respective member profile listing at least one skill name of a skill belonging to the selected skill cluster.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein a skilled member has a member profile on the online social network that includes at least one skill name.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein a job-switching member has a member profile on the online social network that includes at least two chronologically adjacent experience sections indicating a change in employment of the job-switching member.

21. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein to calculate the first respective percentage includes to:

determine a first set of members, a respective member in the first set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing a skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective member and belonging to the selected skill cluster;

determine a second set of skilled members, a respective member in the second set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing at least one skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective skilled member; and

calculate the first respective percentage by dividing a quantity of members in the first set by a quantity of skilled members in the second set.

22. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein to calculate the second respective percentage includes to:

determine a first set of members, a respective member in the first set having a respective member profile on the online social network listing a skill name corresponding to a skill possessed by the respective member and belonging to the selected skill cluster;

determine a second set of job-switching members, a respective job-switching member in the second set having a respective member profile listing:

a skill, belonging to the selected skill cluster, as possessed by the respective job-switching member; and

a plurality of chronologically adjacent experience sections indicating a change in employment of the respective job-switching member; and

calculate the second respective percentage by dividing a quantity of job-switching members in the second set by a quantity of members in the first set.

23. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 22 , wherein at least two chronologically adjacent experience sections of the plurality of chronologically adjacent experience sections are within a selected period of recency.

24. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein a respective member of the online social network is in a selected geographical region upon the respective member profile of the respective member indicating the respective member either: lives, works, desires to live, or desires to work in the selected geographical region.