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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!

While you drive your many work initiatives to success, you don’t want the intensity interrupted by texting or a harassing email. Let’s say your administrative assistant texts that she is ill. And then later that day you see a picture of her on Facebook at the State Fair of Texas enjoying a corny dog. Or perhaps you see her on Facebook at a Christmas party when she’s on Family Medical Leave for an illness of “undetermined causes.” What will you do?

Situations which involve lewd messages with graphic photos can explode quickly, if you are the manager and discover that one of your most productive employees sent 300 messages via email to various females over the past few weeks. Why were you the last to know? Why didn’t some of those employees notify you sooner? And what can you do about these issues?

In my recent presentation about this topic to a group of HR executives, the participants asked many, excellent questions, indicating they often struggle with each new problem surrounding social media. The group realized by the end of our short time together, they may need to elevate the urgency of a policy or guidelines and provide training for the entire company.

In an excellent article in Texas Business Today, the quarterly bulletin which is mailed form Texas Workforce Commission, you are strongly encouraged to assure that your company has an adequate policies in place. Coupled with the written policies, you must make employees aware of updated information regarding what is and is not allowable. The article is titled Texting and Facebook: Minimizing Employer Liability.

Most companies today understand that generational differences exist, along with diversity in corporate culture. Generally, companies do not want LOL on an email or an OMG response. Spell out what is acceptable, rather than wait for a problem to pop. Linkedin.com is an excellent resource for finding people in other companies for benchmarking, discussions and recruiting. But do you or will you allow a manager to put a testimonial on someone’s Linkedin profile? Is your policy too restrictive for today’s workplace with many companies using Facebook for advertising? Companies such as Southwest Airlines encourage their workers to understand and use social media. Philanthropies seek donations and volunteers through the internet. We must cope with the realities of the changing way we do business.

According to the article :

“In a June 2009 survey by Proofpoint, an online security firm, 8% of the employers with more than 1000 employees were reported as having terminated an employee for Facebook use during company time. 17% also reported taking issue with an employee’s use of social media while on the clock. “

Texting is an ill defined issue, according to the article. “There is no Texas federal law requiring employers to allow employees to have access to their personal cell phones or to make or receive personal phone calls.” But reality shows most people make a few personal calls daily. The problem explodes when Sally gets 30 texts a day from an unwanted suitor. Or when the receptionist or customer service representative is texting or talking instead of achieving the company expectations, like greeting the public! You need to remind your managers that they may be breaking the law via text messages, if the messages are unwanted.

Getting into defining privacy in your company is another “can of worms.” What will you do if one of your employees makes disparaging remarks about his or her manager outside of work hours?

I urge you to take the time to learn more about the growing issues surrounding social media and texting. I agree with the clear message from our state employment officials: we must have a policy and it must be in writing. Of course, new issues will continue to keep us busy solving the next puzzle in this electronic quagmire, even with a policy in place. Set aside time to read this long, but extremely informative, article.

If you don’t have a copy of Fall 2010 Texas Business Today or wish to subscribe to the publication, call 1-800-832-9394. You may also find sample policies at Http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/efte/tocmain2.html and click on The A to Z of Personnel Policies. Regardless of where you are when reading this, you can use this resource to create or improve your company with this information. Avoiding problems before they erupt can make your life far less stressful!

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