March 3, 2010

Edited and Written by Ira S. Wolfe

Published by Success Performance Solutions. Major Sponsor,

2008 Best Places to Work In Pennsylvania

What's Inside this issue of The TotalView:

1.  Jobs Are Scarce, But Candidates Expectations Aren't

2.  Urgent Call for Help!

3.  Geeks, Geezers and Googlization

1. Jobs Are Scarce, But Candidates Expectations Aren't

There's an assumption pervading board rooms and inner circles of management that high unemployment is tempering the demands of candidates. I've got a simple response: Stop drinking the Kool-Aid!

While Baby Boomers still make up the largest single generation and control corporate America's purse strings, their grip on the future is weakening. Baby Boomers no longer constitute the majority of workers, although many managers continue to act like they do. Here's the new reality: the combined population of working age Generation Xers and Yers swamps the Baby Boomer population by more 24 million people - 104 million compared to 78 million.

Underlying these numbers are four significant trends that will trump the old recruiting rules during times of unemployment. My favorite trend (for obvious reasons), cited by Kevin Wheeler in "Why Recruiting Good People Will Get Harder and Harder," is "Generational Mindset."

Baby Boomers (born 1946-1964) are the most traditional workers these days. Most Baby Boomers are still more comfortable "going to work." Many find it difficult to build a relationship without pressing the flesh. Their lives and personal identities are also often defined by their work.

Generation X (born 1965-1979) also tends to associate work with a physical place of business. They are, however, more open to working from home or on virtual teams (virtual work is a second trend mentioned by Wheeler). A career choice, whether it is a new job or promotion, often comes down to which one offers the most flexibility for them and their family.

Generation Y (born 1982-1995), as most employers are discovering, do not really want to work for any organization, especially those mired in hierarchy, bureaucracy and policies. Work is something you do, not a place you go. They want flexible, virtual work and are more likely to have multiple jobs. According to Wheeler, "they are the hardest to recruit and the hardest to retain. Yet, they are the future of most organizations as Baby Boomers age and move out."

Click here to read about recruiting trends #3 and #4.

Urgent Call for Help!

Quite a few jobs lost during the recession are gone forever. For instance, telegraph operators, garment workers, and typesetters reached extinction by the end of the 20th century. During the past few years, thousands of material handler, data entry, and clerical jobs bit the dust.

I'm writing an article for a business magazine and I'm looking for sources who can provide specific examples of other jobs - skilled and semi-skilled -  that are on the brink of extinction.  

I'm also looking for success stories of old school employees being retrained for a new generation of jobs.

Please share your stories as managers or employees. Email me with a short description as well as your availability for an interview via email or phone.

Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization

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Ira S. Wolfe Copyright 2009 - All Rights Reserved. Reprints and other distribution by permission only.