Comments on: Why Recruiting Good People Will Get Harder and Harder

By: Waarom Google Apps Premier Editie u helpt de juiste mensen te recruteren. | Romneya

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 23:30:51 +0000

[...] Wheeler, de president en oprichter van Global Learning Resources, blogde recentelijk over het feit dat goede mensen aantrekken steeds moeilijker zal worden: “Maar [...]

By: Andrew Holtzclaw

Andrew Holtzclaw — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 22:17:20 +0000

Since I recruit in the non profit sector, I may see a different part of this. Gen Y graduates seem to be more idealistic and socially conscious. They don’t mind traditional job factors, if they feel the work is important. I have found they do not necessarily require the things you mentioned in article, but do require the oppurtunity to be creative and to explore routes in which technology can be used. All of this allows me to recruit with a big picture mentality that appeals to them; To make a difference.

By: Deb Gamber

Deb Gamber — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 20:50:40 +0000

My bet is that Gen Y will make it work and the rest of us will ride their coat tails…even the old geezer Baby Boomers who have led the way until now. Gen Y is well wired into technology and has the confidence to blaze new paths. Moreover they work very well in flat organizations resultant from this nasty economy and outsourcing offshore.

By: Why Google Apps Premier Edition helps to recruit good people. | Romneya

Why Google Apps Premier Edition helps to recruit good people. | Romneya — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 22:06:23 +0000

[...] Wheeler, the President and Founder of Global Learning Resources, recently blogged about why recruiting good people will get harder and harder: “But Gen Y (those under 30) [...]

By: Kristen Tom

Kristen Tom — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 19:08:08 +0000

I think technology has also allowed many companies to let their employees work from home, enabling them to hire people that live far from their main headquarters. This lets them hire top talent without location being an issue. When I first started working for a company I was amazed at the idea that I was able to work from home as long as I was signed into AIM. This gives me more time to be productive since I won’t to waste time with the morning commute!

By: Paul Rogers

Paul Rogers — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:57:32 +0000

Great article, Kevin. One thing you don’t address (pehaps another article altogether) is the impact that flexible hours and virtual work locations have on employee engagement. I’d be curious to see a survey that fully captures the impact of such workplace options on employee commitment and willingness to go “above and beyond” for their employer. Many address “work life balance” but I’d love to hear from anyone who has good stats on this.

By: Kevin Wheeler

Kevin Wheeler — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:34:21 +0000

Here is one more source adding data to support the basic arguments I make above. http://tinyurl.com/ygh2mb8

By: Keith Halperin

Keith Halperin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:24:57 +0000

Thanks, Kevin. Like you, I have hope for young people. I do not have much hope for the older people like the late-40ish Sr. Customer Support rep who worked hard, played by the rules, was very loyal to his major employer, and was laid off after 12 years when his job got offshored. There are millions of folks like him, who bought into the same idea that he did, and got shafted the same way he did, and will probably never equal their old standard of living. Some of you will say “this is a grand opportunity to be your own boss and make unlimited income determined only by your will to succeed!” Yep, and I have a nice International Orange bridge over here near me, just right for you to buy- no money down, no credit/income check… Meanwhile, “banksters” give themselves billions in bonuses and won’t loan to small businesses to help them expand.
If I were REALLY a “gloomy Gus,” I’d wonder if we might start to seriously recover from this just at the time when the debt problems really start growing….

Hey, the weekend’s almost here….

Cheer’s

Keith

By: Kevin Wheeler

Kevin Wheeler — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:09:15 +0000

Interesting article in WSJ today relevant to the discussion above: http://tinyurl.com/y8qwxdt

By: Kevin Wheeler

Kevin Wheeler — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 17:12:06 +0000

Marie: Yes, there may be a short term excess number of highly talented people available, but they will be quickly snapped up and the supply following is small. IT is more about attitude than numbers: fewer people want to work for organizations that have consistently screwed them & others. Better to become a consultant or find some way to partner that does not involve giving up your freedom or limit your revenue streams.

Deb: You are right on target – virtual and flexible work is highly attractive to Baby Boomers who may also be willing to work for less in exchange for the flexibility. IT has coped well and other professions need to adapt as well.

Keith: I think you are mistaken about the Millennials. Pampered they may have been, but they are creative and smart and are making do with less without complaining. It’s Gen X that are squeezed by kids and work balance and declining opportunities. The Millennials are taking advantage of this recession to explore opportunities: to leverage the Internet, go global, and experiment (albeit at times with mom and dad’s cash)with new ways of working and living. I have a lot of hope for these folks!

By: Keith Halperin

Keith Halperin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 01:12:26 +0000

Thank you, Kevin.
First, I would like to suggest an alternative title:
“Why Making A Good Living Recruiting Will Get Harder and Harder”

Let me address your topics:

Flexible Working Times
Very relevant. I’d like to hear what companies and individuals are doing to avoid creating the “24 By 7 Always-on-Call Job”. Don’t YOU ever want to be incommunicado, folks? I do…

Multiple Jobs
Also very relevant. If you want people to avoid having multiple jobs: pay more, provide *a more fulfilling job, or both.

Virtual Work
Super-relevant. What wasn’t discussed is that anything that can be done virtually can be done for virtually nothing. That’s an exaggeration, but the number of virtual jobs that can be done by skilled, low-cost foreign labor increases all the time. IMHO, it is a reasonable assumption that if your job can be realistically eliminated, automated, or outsourced, it will be for a lot less than they’re paying you to do it.

Generational Mindset
Not too relevant. Are we talking about geezer Boomers like me with our 101ks, 202ks, or 301ks and underwater mortgages who are so broke that they won’t retire until after death?

Are you referring to the squeezed Gen Xers who should be doing pretty well right now, except things outside your house are getting really expensive and geezers aren’t getting out of the way?

Maybe you mean the formerly pampered Millennials, who won’t be finishing college in 4 years because they keep cancelling courses/sessions and raising tuition, or the ones waiting for the 8.4 million jobs we’ve lost so far to come back except for the ~2 million jobs which aren’t expected to return?

I think several years of relatively high unemployment will change a LOT of people’s *work expectations downward, more toward what my folks (Greatest Generation) had. Hope I’m wrong…

Keith “Hope I Don’t Die Before I Get Old” Halperin

By: Becca Larson

Becca Larson — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 19:36:06 +0000

I have to agree on Maureen’s comment: I think it would be highly inappropriate (and illegal) to target men for positions of employment, or to even suggest that should be a consideration. Diversity is one of the greatest assets for a company in terms of idea generation and a richer work environment.

You have some good points in your article, but I feel they are a bit overshaddowed by this assertion.

By: Deb Gamber

Deb Gamber — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:07:15 +0000

Initially this trend may be a result of the current market but moving forward it will strengthen. The issue of trust will be at the center but when it becomes a matter of performance the wheat will be separated from the chaff. Performance measurement will be important. Having been in the retained sesarch business for 20 years this has been an issue for the research/associate staff as performance measurement was most subjective. I’ll be interested to see how it develops.

Moreover, the over 50 crowd sees this trend to their advantage. With a couple of virtual jobs one can live anywhere and explore new ground. While recruiters look at singles please don’t overlook the loyal, proven workers who are open to new ideas,ready to get the job done and believe in customer service! The recession has hit this group harder than others but as usual the Baby Boomers are flexible and ready to take advantage of the opportunity.

Recruiters need to think outside of the box on this issue. The IT world has been working with this paradigm succesfully for years. It’s the way of the future!

By: Meghan McCartan

Meghan McCartan — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:54:55 +0000

I think Maureen’s comment above is interesting…and if recruiters confine themselves to “single folks who do not have children or other responsibilities” that’s a pretty tight parameter. Most single people I know have at least some responsibility, even if only to having a life of their own! A little flexibility goes a long way…

By: Flexibility and the Economy « Detours and OnRamps Forum

Flexibility and the Economy « Detours and OnRamps Forum — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:46:07 +0000

[...] Here’s a great article I just read…and my favorite line from it, is “It will be tough to convince very good people to work for organizations that do not allow flexible work”. Because what is flexible? I don’t think a lot of folks these days are looking for the opportunity to be paid full-time for 8-12 hours of work. The women (and it’s largely women, but men too) that I talk to day-to-day for Detours are working a lot more than 40 hours (and I’m not including all the work of raising kids). In fact, I remember recently sitting at a meeting with a consulting client. They asked how much I wanted to work, and I looked back over recent weeks and (shockingly, even to myself) realized that I’d been working about 65 hours a week (including time after kids were in bed, weekends, etc). I was on my computer ALL DAY for Detours projects, marketing consulting work, this and that. I don’t feel like I am working that much, except for the days that I TOTALLY do. But the point is there’s some flexibility and I make it work-and the productivity is there. [...]

By: Marie Burns

Marie Burns — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:27:26 +0000

Good points. However, I’m curious if all of this is all subject to the current economic times, not the entire future of recruiting? I’ve spoken with a number of sources who really feel like there will be a massive turn of GREAT candidates (those who did take that job they were over qualified for for less money – and for a company they didn’t fully believe in). Isn’t it possible that there will be a surge in good candidates once the economy turns back around (& people are comfortable with that fact)? And then once the thought leaders jump, more will follow? So, I guess you can see I’m under the perception that recruiting great candidates will actually get easier in the years to come…just curious as to your thoughts on that?

By: Maureen Sharib

Maureen Sharib — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 15:29:27 +0000

“…you should target an audience where flexibility might not be a critical consideration such younger men and single folks who do not have children or other responsibilities.”

I guess you meant to say “such [as] younger men and …folks who do not have children.”

I’m waiting for the firestorm to erupt over this suggestion. I understand it, but I’m waiting.