Looking for a few good programmers
Tight labor market has distributors searching high and low for good technical help
By Doug Harper -- Industrial Distribution, 7/1/1998
If the film "The Graduate" was shot today instead of 1967, director Mike Nichols would undoubtedly have changed the script so that the film's star, Dustin Hoffman, would be advised to take up the profession of computing instead of the now classic line: "One word, 'plastics.' "Because, as the 21st century looms ever closer, graduates with degrees in computing are being swamped with job offers and starting salaries that make most other professions seem pale in comparison. In fact, an already tight labor pool for management information systems professionals has become even tighter precisely because the 21st century is right around the corner.
Thousands of programmers, systems analysts, LAN managers and other MIS types in government and private industry are frantically working to prevent computer meltdown on New Year's Eve 2000, a result of the infamous "Millennium Bug."
But the diversion of these employees from day-to-day operations has further reduced the MIS labor supply at the very time when many distributors are expanding their use of computers.
As a result, distributors are finding it increasingly difficult to hire skilled and qualified MIS people. In an effort to avoid the commissions charged by specialized MIS "head hunters," many distributors are using their local newspapers and business publications to advertise for information technology staff.
However, creating an effective recruitment ad is not quite as simple as it may at first appear. Experts say that one of the most common mistakes made by human resources employees in advertising for MIS positions is that they attempt to put too much information in the ad. The objective of a good ad, they point out, is merely to motivate qualified applicants to contact the distributorship for an interview.
Unquestionably, the most important element in the creation of an effective ad is to clearly state the skills and experience required for the position. If the company needs an MIS professional experienced or certified in C++, Java or Lotus Notes, the ad should spell that out. If the company needs a LAN administrator with no less than five years' experience, that should be specified.
On the other hand, recruitment experts advise that stating a salary -- or even a salary range -- in an ad denies the company the "wiggle room" to tailor a compensation package to the qualifications and desirability of a specific applicant. The subject of salary, they advise, should generally be deferred until the distributor is ready to make a concrete offer. The words "competitive salary" in the ad should be adequate to assuage the candidates' initial concerns about compensation.
In addition, factors like a distributorship's retirement policy, stock options and even profit-sharing will probably do little to attract employees to entry level MIS positions since these are benefits that usually are only relevant after an extended period of time.
Although salary is almost always the prospective employee's prime concern, there are other compensation details that should be mentioned. With the rising cost of medical care, employees -- particularly those with large families -- are keenly interested in the scope and type of medical and dental plans. By the same token, maternity and paternity leave and tuition assistance plans are of great concern to potential employees.
But because an ad is seen as little more than a "teaser" to induce qualified applicants to respond, an exhaustive interview and the in-depth checking of references become even more critical to separate the wheat from the chaff. In fact, the increase in employee computer crime has been attributed in part to the fact that the shortage of MIS personnel has caused some companies to be less than conscientious in checking the credentials of new hires.
But whether you were hired in 1967 or 1997, you may send your comments to dharper@interport.net.
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