Management by Volume

Note from a candidate I placed, who stays in touch:

I was thinking that you are probably better than most at being able to comment on something that has been puzzling to me for the past few years.

Would you say that there is validity to the idea that there has been a major shift in the way companies (at the least the high tech ones as they’re the only ones I’m familiar with) treat their employees in the past few years?

The thought has occurred to me that if a high school student was to ask my opinion about going into Engineering now that I would, most likely, be very hesitant about giving it a ‘thumbs-up’. (Unless it was obvious that they wouldn’t be ‘happy’ doing anything else.)

Just a couple of days ago I told a good friend of many years (we worked as Field Engineers for Rockwell-Collins shortly after I graduated from A&M and he was a co-op from Rice) that I didn’t think that the concept of ‘career’ was valid anymore for Engineers as it implies the existence of a ‘path’ (career progression, etc.).

My friend,

Today is exciting for job seekers who are willing to understand there is no security. Career paths are more like jogging trails with twists, turns and bumps these days.  Career information is abundant but if students look at the reality of their parents’ and neighbors’ careers, they know that layoffs and terminations occur.  Take a look at the video about change.  The statistics on this video have changed since I saw it at a talent conference for recruiters over a year ago.  The economy is changing and more people are being forced to think about career transitions, maybe ten or more times in their lives.

Corporations who thrive must treat their people with respect.  There are no perfect companies any more than perfect people.  If someone wants a traditional, long term career with one company, those days disappeared around the turn of the century.  I worry about people who stay with a company 20+ years, as they may feel indispensable.  The wise employee keeps learning and growing.  Reading, studying, and attending conferences improves the plight of people in the company which must downsize periodically.  Those individuals have a Plan B.  They are ready for new endeavors, rather than stuck in a deep ravine, not just a rut.  Titles change, but the work may be similar.  Sticking with the same programming technology, such as COBOL, may give you the edge with legacy systems for a few companies but that technology has all but disappeared.  Skills must stay up to date.

I can hear you, saying, “But I don’t have time.”  You must make time.

One of my most hated sentences from an employees is, “That’s the way we’ve always done it.”  Well, that’s not the way it’s happening today!  There is no way you can exist without change.  Social media may seem like a fad but you’d better learn how to text and use Linkedin to stay up to date in the eyes of your colleagues.  All employees, from top to bottom, need to know how to operate and extract information from their computers or they may become as obsolete as an old Atari game system.

No longer do you have to stay with a company indefinitely.  If we can solve the health insurance issues, contracting will become even more viable, both with candidates and companies.

I admit that corporate cultures have changed.  Maybe your aged parent recently had surgery, but you are expected on site.  Cool companies understand that “out of sight” does not mean someone is not working.  He or she may be sitting by a sick child’s bedside with a laptop clicking out a flow chart for the latest project.  Would I recommend telling your manager, “I can’t work, even if the rest of the team will be here Saturday?”  No, not on a regular basis or you will probably be labeled “not a team player.”  But you need to speak up or move on, if the corporate culture is not a fit.

Would I recommend engineering to anyone?  Absolutely, as we need more engineers to design innovative products and services!  But there are fewer people going that direction, which is sad.  We need to improve the plight of the mistreated employee somehow, if that’s the real issue.  If you have the opportunity to encourage a neighbor or relative, go for it.  With what is happening in Japan and the Middle East, the times are troubled and we all need to realize that not only is the world changing, but careers are evolving faster than ever, along with corporations which must keep changing.

BE SURE TO WATCH THE VIDEO!