Some call this the era of "free agents." Others describe it as the beginning attempts to own human capital. Who really has ownership of a professional's career? With the
speed of online communication, we have evolved from being accountable for our own career navigation strategies to being consumed exclusively by the Web way of hawking our talents
as though we were commodities on a store shelf.
Think about how technology has influenced the debate over who controls the talent. Are candidates themselves in the driver's seat, or is the technology itself (which now
allows for a more free-flowing exchange of information) prompting change by making good people easier to find? Is there still room in today's employment jungle for the free agent
whose own shrewd thinking can far outweigh the seeming benefits of technology as the body broker?
The healthy economy - coupled with the near instantaneous adoption of the Internet as a career tool - has resulted in the obvious. We've witnessed explosive growth in the e-
commerce business segment, a shortage of talent and blind eagerness on the part of professionals to capitalize on the sudden (and overwhelming) demand for their talent. And let
us not forget compensation packages of preposterous proportions - perks never imagined by previous generations, whose long-term loyalty to one company was an unwritten rule of the
marketplace.
Where does that leave us now in the war for talent? No one would argue that the e-recruiting model is a smart one for tech-oriented jobs, and for positions that fall below the
mid-management level. Professionals in these positions are sought less for their strategic judgment than they are for their technical abilities.
But where I believe the debate has heated up is in the senior-most echelons where the exclusive basis upon which professionals are hired is tied to their vast business
knowledge, industry savvy and sound judgment from decades of experience. You simply cannot package and broker the wisdom of senior level talent via the Internet. At this level,
hiring decisions are based on a portfolio of intangible qualities that cannot necessarily be discerned from a resume or an online questionnaire. (And we have yet to see secure,
live, 3-D interactions with talent become mainstream.)
Will Internet recruiting become the wave of the future for all levels of hiring? That remains to be seen. Over the past decade, PR professionals have finally won control over
their career destinies, and the Internet has been a catalyst in helping to empower good candidates. But I believe also that there are potential threats associated with Web-
engineered career moves. The ease with which we can bypass confidentiality and access intimate information about individuals is dangerous. And the Web's promise of satisfying
staffing needs on a faster and faster basis constitutes a slippery slope. From the employer's perspective, faster does not always equate to better. And, from the candidate's
viewpoint, jumping into the hottest new career frying pan without letting the flame steady itself is not always the most prudent move. All of it food for thought...
Got a career conundrum? Submit questions to Smooch Reynolds at [email protected]. She'll address your dilemma in an upcoming
column.
Smooch Reynolds
Smooch Reynolds is president and CEO of The Repovich-Reynolds Group, a national executive search and management consulting firm specializing in investor relations,
communications and marketing functions. 626/585-9455.