A seismic shift is occurring in the job market! Knowledgeable workers, technology changes, labor market shortages, and historically low unemployment has put workers in control of their career options.
A number of workers have already experienced or witnessed one, two or three, downsizings and are declaring their independence with titles like “free agents, “open-collar” or “e-lance” workers. Trend watcher Roger Herman says, “Workers are no longer content to leave their careers in the hands of their employers. Technology has afforded them the opportunity to chart and prepare themselves for their own professional futures.” The good news is: they are doing a fine job. A Drake Beam Morin 1999 study found that average job-search time for individuals plunged from 4.4 months in 1998 to 3.3 months in 1999. In short, while downsizing is never pleasant, downsized workers are no longer remaining victims.
Downsized Workers Claim Independence
Job Hunting Strategies Impacted by Technology
A June 1999 HR Magazine article recounted that since 1985 AT&T has provided outplacement services to downsized employees. They recently realized however, that less than one-fifth of downsized workers were taking advantage of the company-paid outplacement services/retraining opportunities. The number of individuals who have posted resumes on Monster.com and other Internet job sites represent a shift toward career self management. For example, a 54-year old computer technician from a large bank elected to use a free Internet resume-development site to guide him in the preparation of his resume. He was invited to three job interviews and accepted a new position before he became eligible to draw unemployment. With economists reporting the U.S. jobless rate as hovering near a 30-year low, the indications are that downsized employees are in fact, landing new positions quickly.
Keeping Skills Updated
Free agent workers seek training opportunities to acquire new skills to keep their careers secure, and savvy organizations realize this. The August 2000 issue of Training & Development Magazine recounts a strategy of Boeing and the International Association of Machinists to provide training that is valued by the new economy worker. Boeing workers are accustomed to two things: repeated cycles of hiring and layoffs, and changing technology. The training program helps employees prepare for both of those eventualities. Additionally, colleges/universities have record enrollment across the nation and 60% of them now offer distance-learning opportunities. Many organizations now offer their employees an opportunity to keep their skills updated by providing 100 percent-paid tuition and employees are enrolling in training classes in record numbers.
Networking Creates Win-Win
When Donna Baden, aged 48 was downsized the first time, she was horrified that she would never find another job. Advised by her in-house career center to use her “network” got Donna to thinking. “I had over 20 years’ experience in the health care industry. I started contacting my network and was shocked at the number of job opportunities. A friend told me of a position, I was hired, and my friend received a $1,000 referral bonus.” Many organizations provide bonuses in exchange for referrals for prospective new hires. For example, Blue Cross, Blue Shield provides employees $1,000 for hired referrals and $1,500 if the new hire is bilingual. Drake Beam Morin, a worldwide workplace consulting firm and outplacement service, conducted a study that analyzed the career transition experiences of more than 17,600 workers from more than 5,300 organizations. Approximately 68 percent of the job seekers secured new positions via networking, Drake Beam Morin reports. Today’s workforce is more informed of the value of networking, unlike job hunters of the last decade.
Electronic Job Boards
A number of organizations and employees look to the net to employment selection/opportunities. Electronic job boards are a win-win for job hunters and employers. Job hunters are guided through a resume development process, and many sites offer assessments to narrow job interests and provide tips on interviewing and negotiation skills. For the employer, electronic job boards allow positions to be filled in less time and the job seeker controls their job hunt. Craig, a 30-year old displaced worker, posted his resume on the net and had several recruiters calling him literally the same day. Within two weeks he accepted and went to work with an internationally known financial organization.
Employees are More Self Confident
Recruiters report that job hunters are more creative and know how to take care of themselves than individuals in the 80s/90s. A look at Amazon.com reported sales are soaring for self-help books. Today there are over 2,246 books on how to find new employment opportunities, and the Internet is filled with recruiters anxious to provide assistance.
“This is a new economy,” says Steve Patchell, a Compensation Consultant with Watson Wyatt Worldwide. “Workers know that if one job doesn’t work out, they can go to the next one – and there is always a next one.”
Workers realize the paternalistic work environment is history and they are no longer remaining passive victims.
Freda Turner teaches at the University of Phoenix and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida. She may be reached at fturner@email.uophx.edu.
