I can say that its not because demand for labor isn’t out there. But the actual process of matching employers and staff has been a train-wreck for a while. My HR department gets thousands of applications a day that are pure spam. We get deluged with solicitations from headhunters who serve up any warm body with a half-written resume. I can point to half a dozen people we did hire who were hired and gone inside a few months, because they were either incapable of doing the work or just fucking around looking for the next rung on the ladder.
There’s a certain paralysis that comes with trying to find candidates in a river of shit. In the end, we tend to pull directly from college through our Analyst Development Program or through contractors without non-compete clauses, because its easier than fishing in the scams pond.
When you do find people qualified in the wild, its like hitting a gold mine. The folks who have been on-boarded successfully will often bring on two or three people behind them, simply because managers trust them to find like-minded and like-talented people.
It’s the kind of work that’s handy to add to your CV if you’re looking to try and climb the management ladder. And there’s definitely redeeming virtue in having a voice in the room when its time to select your future coworker.
I’ve had the pleasure of on-boarding a few people at my office who might not have made it if I hadn’t said “This person is great, they actually know the finer points of writing a SQL script and managing a file system”. And I’ve cold-shouldered a few people who knew all the business words to say but had no practical experience in IT.
So, sucks in the moment, but getting to vet the people who are working with you over the next 3-5 years can pay dividends long term.
I can say that its not because demand for labor isn’t out there. But the actual process of matching employers and staff has been a train-wreck for a while. My HR department gets thousands of applications a day that are pure spam. We get deluged with solicitations from headhunters who serve up any warm body with a half-written resume. I can point to half a dozen people we did hire who were hired and gone inside a few months, because they were either incapable of doing the work or just fucking around looking for the next rung on the ladder.
There’s a certain paralysis that comes with trying to find candidates in a river of shit. In the end, we tend to pull directly from college through our Analyst Development Program or through contractors without non-compete clauses, because its easier than fishing in the scams pond.
When you do find people qualified in the wild, its like hitting a gold mine. The folks who have been on-boarded successfully will often bring on two or three people behind them, simply because managers trust them to find like-minded and like-talented people.
Yeah. My profession has a hollowed out set of qualified people and getting people up to speed has been challenging.
I’ve never had the fun of interviewing or sifting through applicants and I don’t think I’d miss it if I never get to do so
It’s the kind of work that’s handy to add to your CV if you’re looking to try and climb the management ladder. And there’s definitely redeeming virtue in having a voice in the room when its time to select your future coworker.
I’ve had the pleasure of on-boarding a few people at my office who might not have made it if I hadn’t said “This person is great, they actually know the finer points of writing a SQL script and managing a file system”. And I’ve cold-shouldered a few people who knew all the business words to say but had no practical experience in IT.
So, sucks in the moment, but getting to vet the people who are working with you over the next 3-5 years can pay dividends long term.