| While the latest jobs report indicated that there | | | | market. Hiring companies are very much "calling the |
| might at last be a glimmer of hope for the jobless,* I | | | | shots" and apparently will continue to do so. No |
| wouldn't recommend breaking out the champagne to | | | | longer are hiring companies focused on seeing how |
| celebrate quite yet. Why? Because, if the job market | | | | many applicants they can include in their "pool" of |
| continues to improve (still a BIG "if," of course!), it | | | | potential employees. Rather, their focus now is on, |
| likely will serve as the "trigger" for the 60 to 80 | | | | and apparently shall remain on, how many applicants |
| million people (over one-half of the currently | | | | they can exclude from the "pool," and do that as |
| employed) who have indicated in recent surveys | | | | quickly as possible, in order to get to the applicants |
| conducted by and Manpower, Inc. that they intend to | | | | who ultimately will be selected for positions. |
| "jump ship" for new career opportunities once the | | | | Brutal? Unfair? You bet, but all signs are pointing to |
| economy is truly on the mend. | | | | the fact that that's still the way it is and will continue |
| So, if this exodus actually occurs, rather than the | | | | to be for sometime in the job market. |
| current average of six applicants for every open | | | | Gone forever are the days when an applicant could |
| position in the job market, there easily could be an | | | | merely put together a resume, fire it off to |
| average of thirty applicants for every open position, | | | | prospective employers and then merely wait for their |
| beginning as soon as 2010! That would represent an | | | | "number" to come up, i.e., to be offered a new job. |
| average FIVE-FOLD increase in the applicants-to-job | | | | Today, only those applicants who know how to play |
| ratio! Certainly that would create significantly more | | | | by the NEW set of "rules" in the "hiring game," and |
| turbulence in the already chaotic job market, as well | | | | then actually start playing by those new rules, can |
| as put additional, tremendous stress and strain on the | | | | ever hope to be positioned as a TOP candidate for |
| unemployed. | | | | virtually any job! All others will quickly and summarily |
| Currently Employed Totally Fed Up with Their | | | | be excluded from further consideration. Believe that. |
| Employers | | | | The New Realities of the Job Market |
| This anticipated mass exodus of the currently | | | | While, as already stated, currently employed people |
| employed will be precipitated, the survey results | | | | will have somewhat of an advantage over the |
| indicate, because many, if not most, feel they have | | | | unemployed when it comes to competing for new |
| been hard put upon by their employers during the | | | | jobs that may be created over the next few years, |
| Great Recession. They have had to endure the | | | | i.e., merely by the fact that they, unlike the |
| ongoing emotional trauma of watching fellow | | | | unemployed, have been able to stay employed |
| employees be fired, laid off or downsized, while daily | | | | through the recent rough times, they also are at |
| fearing for their own jobs. They have received either | | | | somewhat of a disadvantage. That is, if they haven't |
| miniscule raises or none at all. In some cases they | | | | "tested the waters" for quite a few years, chances |
| have even had to take salary reductions. They have | | | | are, not only do they not know how to play by the |
| had to shoulder a workload that normally would have | | | | NEW "rules" of the "hiring game," they probably don't |
| been handled by several employees. In a nutshell, | | | | even know that they exist! |
| they are simply fed up with the (real or perceived) | | | | Insofar as the unemployed are concerned, many still |
| treatment they (and their fellow employees) have | | | | apparently haven't bought into the fact that the rules |
| received from their employers during the last several | | | | of the game have actually changed. (This is |
| years and feel little, if any, loyalty to them. | | | | evidenced by the fact that so many of them |
| An optimist might say, well, the currently unemployed | | | | continue to do the same things over and over in |
| could simply take the jobs that will be vacated by | | | | today's job market, i.e., send out resume after |
| those people leaving their current employers for new | | | | resume, spend hours each day on the job boards, |
| jobs that may be created in the economy over the | | | | etc., etc., all the while continuing to expect different |
| next couple of years. Ostensibly that may even be | | | | results!) Until they disavow themselves of this belief, |
| true. A realist, however, might point out that it's | | | | until they quit hoping that things will soon return to |
| important to keep in mind that most companies tend | | | | "normal," they, too, are destined to experience |
| to take their own, sweet time when it comes to | | | | continued frustration, disappointment and stress. |
| replacing employees who leave their employ. It would | | | | In order to be successful in today's (and tomorrow's!) |
| therefore be reasonable to expect companies | | | | job market, both of these groups, the currently |
| experiencing significant employee losses to follow | | | | employed and the unemployed, will first have to |
| suit, to take a "wait and see" attitude. For how long? | | | | accept the fact that the rules have changed, learn |
| Who knows? In the best case scenario it can take | | | | what these new rules are, and then diligently apply |
| several months for companies to replace positions, if | | | | them to their job searches. Unfortunately, there are |
| they indeed replace them at all. Plus, to add insult to | | | | no other realistic choices that I am aware of, and my |
| injury, the first to even be considered for most of | | | | opinion is based not on some "gut" feeling. Rather, it |
| these positions that may become open quite likely will | | | | is based upon years of experience working in the job |
| be those who are "jumping ship" from other | | | | market, both with candidates and with hiring |
| companies, not the unemployed! | | | | managers and companies, each and every business |
| Employed, Unemployed Must Learn NEW 'Rules' of | | | | day of each and every business week. |
| 'Hiring Game' | | | | I've always admired the cleverness and |
| Obviously, it remains to be seen as to exactly how | | | | appropriateness in a wide variety of situations and |
| things will ultimately shape up in the job market once | | | | circumstances of the Boy Scout's motto: Be |
| new jobs start to be created. And it may take | | | | Prepared. As we enter 2010 that would seem to be |
| several more years before the job market picture | | | | very good advice for both the employed who may |
| starts to come into anything resembling a clear focus. | | | | seek new career opportunities and the unemployed |
| Still, if ever there was a time that job seekers, both | | | | who desperately want and need to get back into the |
| those employed people who plan to search out new | | | | game! |
| career opportunities and the unemployed, need to | | | | *Released December 4, 2009. Total U.S. |
| learn the NEW "rules" of the "hiring game," and how | | | | unemployment in November dipped slightly, to 10% |
| to effectively apply them to compete in the market, | | | | (from 10.2%), and employers shed "just" 11,000 jobs. |
| that would be now. | | | | This performance was considerably better than the |
| What characterizes these NEW "rules"? With | | | | net job loss of 111,000 the previous month, and beat |
| competition for jobs already at fever pitch and likely | | | | the predictions of the Labor Department and many |
| to get even worse, the job market definitely is (and | | | | economists. |
| will remain for the foreseeable future) a buyer's | | | | |