Have You Noticed Some Businesses Are Hiring Again?

Out of the blue-gray October sky something very positive is happening out there. The companies I visited these last few weeks are singing a similar upbeat song.  Companies seem to now be looking for key players from the outside that will make a difference in their top lines. Some selected comments heard this last few weeks on the road are:

  

•    “We have hunkered down by cutting inventory, personnel, overhead, and non profitable customers during this economic downturn. Now all we can do is grow the top line to survive so we are looking for the “rainmakers” to hire”.- 20 million dollar digital printing company.

•   “Our company was poised to grow rapidly when the bottom fell out”. Now we feel it is time to get back in the game and put our “shelved” strategic plan into play as we can’t cut anymore. – 45 million dollar CPG  American manufacturing company.

• “Do you know of any top salespeople out there we could hire”? We are ready to expand again. -37 million Distribution/Fulfillment third party Warehouse company.

•  “With the coming election we will now get a better sense of future cost planning for health care, taxes, and regulatory business “rules”.  Regardless of which political party wins, at least now we can set our course with some knowledge of how we the company will proceed for the next few years. -55 million dollar consumer garden products reseller.

•   We are proceeding with upgrading to new web based computer systems as our repair and servicing costs are now more expensive than the “new” technologies available. – school product fundraising company. 

•   “Our average order is starting to rise and is now higher this year compared to last, same customers. –B to C 140 million dollar CPG internet/mail order catalog /Retail Company.

Could this chatter be a small trend indicator of next year’s economy? Cross your fingers!

Is “Rosie The Riveter” The Best Hope For America’s Economic Recovery?

You Go Girl!

Women have gradually outpaced men in earnings and educational growth in the last few years*. The evidences of gender role reversal are now impacting the economic survival of the nuclear and extended families of the nation. Women are stepping up and helping in many  new ways as society adapts to these difficult financial times on Main Street.

 With the alarming rate of recent men's job losses straining the middle class American family’s ability to keep the dream alive, women have stepped up to the task and in many cases saving the day (or house) by going back to work in key positions.

 While much is still yet to be done to close the fair earnings gap, American women are rapidly becoming the leadership engine for many companies as the face of the work force goes thru rapid change. Perhaps this is one bright spot to help bolster the economic future of the nation. "Rosie" to the rescue again just like their grandmother's did in America's greatest generation! You go girl!

*Women's share of household income climbing:  Here
*Women are now the majority of college graduates: Here

“The View”; Today’s HR Departments vs. Hiring Managers. Are You Looking For Real Talent Or Just A “Fit”?

An interesting discussion started last night at a holiday party I attended. The issue was that the current recruiting climate may be missing golden opportunities to source top talent for today’s companies.

Some off the cuff remarks and questions by some really competent attendees were:

•Are senior “hiring” managers now delegating much more of the candidate sourcing to HR because of resume overload? In a sea of qualified candidates, has much of the sourcing behavior slipped to just finding the likable perfect “fit” instead of the top talent that is now available across the country?

•Is it that hiring managers assume the current job market brings them the best HR screened talent to choose from when, in fact, they are allegedly seeing worse and worse candidates?

•Could it be HR departments rarely get past the proper protocol of posting inside first, then, interviewing friends of current employees. Are they not motivated and only rarely looking outside for readily available top talent to upgrade the company’s personnel?

•Does HR sub out further to a recruiter who may be motivated by the commission and screens out top talent presenting only "Fits"? Is the Hiring manager only presented the "best of the rest, fits?' Are the recruiters motivated to close the deal quickly by having candidates that will be liked by all for a yes vote?

•Is HR buoying up inside applicants to higher positions they are not qualified for? Might this be one of the greatest squandering of opportunities for companies now coming out of their “downsizing” correction? Is it just too easy to go through the motions and gain acceptance with the appearance of a “good Fit”?

On my drive home, these discussions got me thinking about the pent up talent that must be available out there right now. It occurred to me sourcing the best talent could be even harder than ever due to the “noise” and overwhelming influx of job applicants CVs and phone calls coming to HR departments. Is the HR department overwhelmed and fatigued which may cause a hiring mistake? Has the best candidate even been called to be screened or are they eliminated by the recruiter "gatekeeper" with selfserving motives?

Perhaps the best are drowned out by the sheer volume of activity. How many resumes get caught in spam filters, a large pile, or never get opened because the in house email system is not compatible and will not open a PDF file or a Word 2007 docx? Should we take responsibility to find the cream of the crop, or is it on the job seeker to push in the door and get noticed? What is best hiring attitude for the company’s future growth and excellence?

My conclusion is the goal is always to get the best talent out there to grow the company for the shareholders and long term security of keeping the company competitive. Bureaucracy, low morale, friendly favors, public votes, etc. still does not excuse me or any other hiring manager for taking the easy way out. We all need to work harder and find the best talent that will bring the company to the next level.

Shame on all of us all if we don’t find the best and brightest with all the qualified folks available on today’s job market.

JMHO