Sure it’s hard to recruit software developers and other tech professionals. There’s just not enough of them to meet the demand.So knowing that, what do you do? You wait until the last minute to begin recruiting them.
That’s what a TEK Systems survey of IT leaders found. When a project is planned or a new IT initiative is scheduled, 73% of companies do
n’t begin planning their staffing needs until they’re less than 90 days from the start.
Workforce planning? Not happening for half the companies in the survey. Yet 7 out of 10 respondents agree “it is more challenging to staff IT projects today than it was five years ago.”
So knowing that, who do the 53% of companies that claim to do some workforce planning task with that job? Three-quarters of them assign it to a director or manager. Commenting on that finding, TEK observes, “it appears workforce planning is not seen as an organizational level strategic priority.”
So next time your CIO tells your TA lead, “We have a project starting next month and I need two…,” tell ’em, “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.”
Or you could just give your CIO a call every week to see what’s up and what people will be needed. Then start recruiting and you’ll be a hero.
Why you never see Mickey point
The Undercover Recruiter has just an amazing collection of employee rules under the headline “Ridiculous Company Rules to Make You Appreciate Your Job.”
What qualifies? An 8-minute bathroom break allotment. Exceed the time and an alarm and flashing lights go off. In Beijing, the female employees are required to kiss their boss before starting work each day.
Disney forbids its cast members (what the company calls its theme park workers) from pointing with a single finger when giving directions. Picking up trash is a requirement, but you can’t bend over to pick it up.
Communication by water cooler chatter
Still communicating with employees by email? Pretty much everyone does. Bad news though; a survey commissioned by the workplace communications company GuideSpark says a majority of the workforce hears about company announcements from their colleagues. But as the press release from the company points out, “this type of communication can be unreliable, inconsistent and doesn’t reach everyone.”
The second ranked way workers hear company news is from their managers. Not so bad, provided the managers get it right and they remember to pass it along to the telecommuters and remote workers. No wonder 70% of the 1,000 workers surveyed want better communications.