What's the BUZZ
v.101.0--2015 Predictions from 'Experts'
The LA Times Op-Ed section had an interesting dialog with several experts from a variety of fields, predicting the changes in business and social attitudes. Moving into 2015, people's changing attitudes toward career, old school corporate attitudes, the millennial influx into the professional path, social effects of single adults and their affect on the economy.
The new rules: According to Jean Twenge, the Millennials' now representing 1/3 of the workforce, have a completely different outlook toward career which rejects the old corporate, button-down structure. Start-ups offer flexible hours, more project-oriented job descriptions, less top-down management and less corporate loyalty.
Patty McCord notes that corporate hierarchies will soon be replaced by smaller, collaborative cross-functional work teams, with more ownership, fewer barriers to creativity and ability to move quickly.
Other forward-looking companies of all sizes are looking to things like upgrading the traditional 'kitchen' and 'break room' spartan spaces with 'loungebraries' that function as both collaborative open areas that stimulate new ideas and become attractive recruiting tools for firms anxious to attract the best young candidates.
Innovation and new attitudes are the prevailing expectation among various thought leaders and social scientists, as well as HR professionals. What are your thoughts? For me, it all sounds good, but I don't think these attitudes will overturn conventional business in 2015. Good hunting.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/
v.100.0--2014 Roundup and Forecast for 2015
In the January 1st LA Times, Tom Petruno recapped the US stock market year-end, 2014 and offered several insights into 2015. Blue chip stocks were clearly the winners in 2014, while technology companies and start-ups were less successful, generally speaking.The Dow posted a 7.5% its sixth consecutive annual gain since the crash. The US fared much better than the rest of the world, which struggled. Oil prices plummeted, making consumers happy, but globally, the oil companies have over-produced, causing a glut that will keep gas prices down for a while.
How does this affect the solar space? Well, the drop in oil prices has brought down energy stocks, including solar. However, Jay Taylor Media reports that with the drop in solar stock prices (a threat) for the immediate term and utility electrical rates basically unchanged by a drop in oil prices, they see the opportunity in buying solar stock NOW to take advantage of the perceived imbalance that lowered solar along with oil.
Jay Taylor Media suggests that even if solar stock prices corrected overnight, the smart investor would still end up ahead and they recommend NOT selling if the solar stock continues to decline over the short term. I agree--investment in a growing field with solar technology costs going down every year is still a very wise investment. Good Hunting.
http://www.latimes.com/includes/sectionfronts/B1.pdf
v.99.0--One Major Reason for a Talent Shortage in 2015
ERE Daily posted a very interesting article that's germaine across all Industries and Businesses, entitled 'Lonely Planet: Talent Shortages Loom as More People Remain Single'. The author, Raghav Singh points out that in the US, since records have been kept, this is a milestone with over half of all people over 16 are single--nearly 125 million adults. While this sag in new population may help to reduce environmental problems of overcrowding and pollution, it's become a serious problem in this country for business. The adage 'Good help is hard to find' is moving rapidly toward impossible to find. He notes that this has been trending since the 1970's, but when the birth rate drops, the labor force immediately shrinks. This trend is apparent Worldwide, among developing nations. For China, where overpopulation has been a problem, the One-Child policy has skewed gender ratio. Many Chinese men can't find a woman to marry.
Combined with the aging of America, in particular, the Baby Boomers will be retiring in droves, exasperating the labor situation. What does this mean for the Solar Industry? From my perspective Solar faces exactly the same challenges in talent acquisition as all industries, perhaps even more because of the growing sophistication, needed design, calculation, construction and the talent needed to advance renewable energy for future generations. So, for all the good news about reaching grid parity, essentially the solar industry at all levels will be competing for talent, be it, a small residential installer or a huge manufacturer of solar panels, batteries, inverters, all phases of the business. If you have thoughts on this matter, please email me at: gary@sbsolutionsinc.net Good hunting.
What's the Buzz v.98.0--The coming era of unlimited clean and almost free energy!
LinkedIn Pulse published an excellent article by Vivek Wadhwa that likens the mobile device / cellular phone evolution and clean, renewable, less expensive energy. 'In the 1980s, leading consultants were skeptical about cellular phones. McKinsey & Company noted that the handsets were heavy, batteries didn’t last long, coverage was patchy, and the cost per minute was exorbitant. It predicted that in 20 years the total market size would be about 900,000 units, and advised AT&T to pull out,' noted Wadhwa. By a long shot--By 2000, there were more than 100 milion cellular phones in use; there are billions now. Costs have dropped so much that even people in the poorest countries all have cellular phone access.
Futurist Ray Kurzweil compares that industry's explosive growth to the way solar power has been doubling every two years for the past 30 years--with costs droping! He believes that in less than 14 years, we'll be meeting 100 percent of today's energy needs. Residential usage in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Australia, and the Southwest United States, residential-scale solar production has already reached “grid parity” with average residential electricity prices. Solar panel prices have fallen 75 percent in the past five years alone.
Wind, biomass, thermal, tidal and waste-breakdown energy are also evolving. For example, Wind power is now competitive with the cost of new coal-burning power plants!
Vivek cautions that there will likely be a disruption of the entire fossil-fuel industry, starting with utilities that will face bankruptcy. The more progressive utilities are embracing solar. While in some states, politicians are lobbying to impede or stop solar progression completely. Really? He predicts the old utilities will lose this battle, as battery storage solutions will improve radically over the next two decades that homes will not depend on the utilities. And with that I bid all of you a Happy New Year 2015! Good Hunting.
What's the Buzz v.97.0--One in every 5 houses is using solar energy
On December 16, Kristine Lofgren published an astonishing fact about solar usage in Australia: One in five households rely on solar energy. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), compared with only three years ago, when only 5% of homes useed rooftop solar panels or solar water heating, while today 19% do. For purposes of comparison, fewer than 4% of homes in the US rely on solar energy. South Australia has highest usage (24%), while Queensland is around 20%. That is a staggering increase. Congratulations to Australia! Good hunting.
http://inhabitat.com/one-in-five-houses-in-australia-is-using-solar-energy/
What's the Buzz v.96.0--New State-by-State Study
In a December 16th Breaking Energy article, Peter Danko breaks down the huge differences state-by-state as to the economic return-on-investment for solar implementers. New research places Connecticut as the third best investment, behind only California and Hawaii in terms of economic potential. The cost of grid electricity is a key determining factor in looking from state-to-state. Danko states 'These valuations are a bit of a theoretical exercise, undertaken specifically to assess the business case for third-party ownership of residential solar by state.' Net metering policies are highly variable and various states' incentives can affect the net return to the operator of solar energy. To further explore the Connecticut situation, the electricity rates are the third highest in the nation, so even though capacity potential is at around 35%, (actual electricity produced as a percentage of what a system would produce operating at full power around the clock). The state of Washington is 50th in ROI for both obvious and not so obvious reasons. Most people in the state live on the rainy side, where production capacity is lower and rates aren't significantly high enough to achieve a great return. Good hunting.
What's the Buzz v.95.0--Who should pay to maintain the Grid?
Peter Overby published a great article in npr 12/11/14, entitled 'Should Homeowners With Solar Panels Pay To Maintain Electrical Grid?' Overby makes the point that with solar costs plummeting, they're achieving parity with the large utilities / power plants, drawing a deeper line in the sand between business and regulatory agencies / utilities. The utilities insist that homeowners with installed solar should share in maintaining the grid. The large, entrenched old guard argue fairness. But, is it really fair?
The renewable companies argue that utiiities are systematically working politically, methodically, state-by-state to put them and the alternative energy movement out of business. Alarmist? Perhaps, but not entirely whack. To me, this is more a matter of it being somewhere in the middle. The renewables side argues that the utilities are simply monopolies that don't want any competition.
The battle rages hardest in Arizona, where Arizona Public Service is waging a political battle to 'pull the plug' on rooftop solar', according to Barry Goldwater, Jr. APS proposes Arizonians put solar on their roofs and get a monthly credit for sending the solar energy straight into the grid. Cost savings to homeowners would be less, but the utility would be happy. Your thoughts? Good hunting.
v.94.0--The Secret Deal to Save the Planet
In his excellent and in-depth investigative piece in the December 18, 2014 Rolling Stone, Jeff Goodell details the recent joint US / Chinese announcement on aggressive policies to reduce the carbon content and the reliance on dirty fossil fuels. But, the drama of his article was how long this negotiation and subsequent announcement were in process AND how two of the largest countries in the world were able to conduct this process in virtual secrecy. The announcement came on November 12, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, President Obama standing with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Many people in both countries were extremely important to the success of this agreement. John Kerry, Todd Stern and the State Department on the US side, Xie Zhenhua his Chinese counterpart. The goal was originally have a striking announcement for the Global climate conference in Paris for 2015. What is remarkable are the myriad challenges that needed to be overcome to make this deal happen. First, there were the economic issues. The US and China are the greatest polluters on Earth. However, China is in the midst of a historic upward economic expansion with a growing middle class. Reduction of carbon would equate with limits on economic growth. Politically, there were numerous challenges, as well. Traditionally, Asian nations have blamed the US and EU, having been industrialized for the past 200 years for climate problems, thereby putting it on the West to solve them.
So much of China's power is created from dirty coal, that smog and water pollution are creating enough illnesses and even deaths, that it has moved the Chinese consciousness to take a serious look at partnering with the US to make significant strides for the future. Another obstacle was one of decades of mistrust, lies and half-truths. Hats off to both sides in moving beyond both political and cultural biases to move forward on climate change.
The major significance of the mutual commitments from two major world powers will have a large affect on the developing nations, who are influenced by China. Also, the rest of the world will be much more motivated to make and keep their commitments in their own countries, based on the example created by the United States and China. Economically, this will be a huge win for global renewables entrepreneurs, as the technology to assist China in meeting it's commitments will undoubtedly open the Asian markets to American entrepreneurship. Good hunting.
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-secret-deal-to-save-the-planet-20141209
v.93.0—Solar could be the largest electricity source by mid-century
The International Energy Agency published a September, 29, 2014 article on the startling rise in solar installations and has predicted that solar energy could be the dominant electricity creator on Earth by 2050! Their message is aimed directly at World Leaders and policy makers--A clear and credible energy policy is needed to fuel this tremendous growth. The best news to me, is that when common knowledge might dictate that we can't get to a dominant clean source of electrical power without a continued reliance on dirty fossil fuels and nuclear plants.
Granted, this 2050 goal is lofty, but the snowballing effect of the public and private sector's embrace of cleantech is rolling the snowball down the mountain at an ever-accelererating pace. Another thing that is 'fueling' growth, especially in the residential sector, is the rapidly dropping prices for residential and commercial P-V systems.
The article takes pains NOT to treat this as a forecast, but that the agency also if factoring in technology enhancements in the next 35 years.
With recent policy accords reached between China and the US, there is at last hope that World Leaders will put their collective heads together for a smart, sustainable global energy process. Good hunting.
v.92.0—US Solar Growth Continues: 1.3 Gigawatts of PV Installed in Q3
Mike Munsell touts the huge growth in US renewable energy in a new article on greentech solar's site. The US has now exceeded 16 gigawatts of PV capacity; 1,354 megawatts of solar photovoltaics in Q3 2014, up 41 percent over the same period last year. This data was supplied by SEIA in a U.S. Solar Market Insight report released today. According to the report, Q3 is the second-largest quarter ever, in terms of new installations. “Solar’s continued impressive growth is due, in large part, to smart and effective public policies, such as the solar Investment Tax Credit, net energy metering and renewable portfolio standards,” said Rhone Resch, SEIA president and CEO." Link. Good hunting.
v.91.0—Innovative Companies flock to Solar in 2014
The SEIA Organization points out a number of the top US companies that are implementing a solar strategy for their rooftops across America. Companies as diverse as Walmart, Kohl's, Costco and Apple have all added solar to the tune of 1,110 systems totaling 569 MW, enough to power more than 115,000 homes. With solar prices falling dramatically, companies are embracing renewable energy as a sound business decision. The costs are dropping by 14 percent year over year and more than 45 percent since 2012. Another fun fact: 129 million people live within 20 miles of a commercial solar installation.
Good hunting.
http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-means-business-2014-top-us-commercial-solar-users
v.90.0—Where is the Solar Industry going to Find Talent?
With the published report that the solar industry is the fastest growing industry in the US, adding over 140,000 new jobs nationally, a logical question is, where are the talented solar consultants to be found? How about designers, community developers and solar development project managers? In the past 2 years I've seen first-hand how many solar start-ups crash and burn, going from small companies to broken dreams, either from lack of financing or from changes in the climate and regulatory issues.
However, like every other industry, the need for professional talent is constant and the industry is growing exponentially. Where are these new energy talents coming from? The Universities? Maybe, but there are barriers to start-up companies, as well, to be able to afford top talent from schools to compete with more established companies.
Also, the perception of many people from outside the solar energy space is, that of in-home sales consultants working at straight commission jobs, only interested in hanging P-V panels on your roof. In actively recruiting Project and Business Development Managers, finding people with stable work histories has been tougher in renewable energy. Many people move from company-to-company, due to the financial instability of many solar start-ups.
The future of renewable energy is upon us. Thousands of great people are interested in working in clean energy fields, but where do they learn more and how do they connect with the right solar employers? Every industry is competing for the same shrinking talent pool. Good hunting.
v.89.0—10% solar power for the US is within reach!
In a November 20 news release, Environment America published an article detailing the explosive US growth of solar installations in 2014. Elizabeth Ouzts and Rob Sargent wrote a very compelling article on the solar phenomenon. “We can get to 10 percent solar by 2030 if we just keep our foot on the accelerator,” said Rob Sargent, Energy Program Director for Environment America and co-author of the report. “That’s a small fraction of what’s possible, but it will make a big difference in the quality of our lives and our children’s future.”
Their research indicates that solar usage has grown 77% in the last three years. They indicate that even with a 22% slow down, solar could still generate 10% of our nation's electricity in less than 20 years, a goal thought unreachable, just a few years ago. Jigar Shah, a solar pioneer, was quoted as saying “Given the growth of solar over the last few years, getting to 10 percent of U.S. electricity from solar should happen far sooner than 2030.”
Solar is currently the fastest-growing industry in the US, adding 143,000 jobs nationwide in 2013! As costs plummet it's becoming accessible to more residents and small businesses. This is not isolated to just a couple of pockets of the country. Currently California is the highest user of solar, which is understandable, as electricity costs are extremely high and we are a high sunshine state. Good hunting
http://www.environmentamerica.org/news/ame/report-10-percent-solar-us-reach
v.88.0—Top 10 US states by MW of installed solar energy
The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) ranked the Top 10 Solar States last in late 2013. Our winners were as follows:
1. California - 2745.8 MW
2. Arizona - 700.7 MW
3. N. Carolina - 335.4 MW
4. Massachusetts - 237.2 MW
5. New Jersey - 235.6 MW
6. Hawaii - 150.6 MW
7. Georgia - 90.9 MW
8. Texas - 75.2 MW
9. New York - 69.4 MW
10. Colorado - 55.9 MW
Interestingly, one half of all solar capacity ever added in CA was installed in 2013. Congratulations to my home state of California for being number 1 AND for the huge gains in installations for 2013! Good hunting
v.87.0—The Solar Top 10
Pure Energies recently published an update from 2010, researching the usage of all countries in the world and ranked them into a Top 10 list. As of September, 2014, here is the updated Top 10 list, based on installed base:
1. Germany - 35.5 GW, 2014 / Previously, 9.8 GW, 1st place, 2010
2. China - 18.3 GW, 2014 / Previously, .305 GW, 8th place, 2010
3. Italy - 17.6 GW, 2014 / Previously, 1.2 GW, 5th place, 2010
4. Japan - 13.6 GW, 2014 / Previously, 2.6 GW, 3rd place, 2010
5. USA - 12 GW, 2014 / Previously, 1.6 GW, 4th place, 2010
6. Spain - 5.6 GW, 2014 / Previously, 3.4 GW, 2nd place, 2010
7. France - 4.6 GW, 2014 / Previously, .272 GW, 9th place, 2010
8. Australia - 3.3 GW, 2014 / Previously, .125 GW, 2010
9. Belgium - 3 GW, 2014 / Previously, .363 GW, 7th place, 2010
10. United Kingdom - 2.9 GW, 2014 / Previously, .027 GW 2010
We have to congratulate two newbies to our Solar Top 10: United Kingdom and Australia. Their usage in 2010 didn't land them a Top 10 finish. The two Top 10 from 2010 that dropped from the list are: India 2.3 GW, 2014 / Previously, .120 GW, 10th place in 2010 and the Czech Republic, who were in 6th place in 2010, but have fallen out of the Solar Top 10 in 2014.
So, as explosive as solar renewable energy growth has been in the US, we've actually dropped in the rankings behind countries even more invested in renewable energy. However, a report from one of my solar clients indicates that they will be doing more new installations in Puerto Rico alone in 2015 than they did in the whole US in 2014! Congratulations to ALL of the countries listed, not only the Top 10, but all people invested in a clean energy future.
Good Hunting.
http://pureenergies.com/us/blog/top-10-countries-using-solar-power/
v.86.0—CA Solar Facts
Facts on the California Solar Industry
• There are currently more than 1,889 solar companies at work throughout the value chain in California, employing 47,223 people.
• In 2013, California installed 2,746 MW of solar electric capacity, ranking it 1st nationally.
• The 7,808 MW of solar energy currently installed in California ranks the state 1st in the country in installed solar capacity. There is enough solar energy installed in the state to power 1,897,300 homes.
• In 2013, $7.1 billion was invested in California to install solar for home, business and utility use. This represents a 83% increase over the previous year, and is expected to grow again this year.
• Average installed residential and commercial photovoltaic system prices in California have fallen by 10% in the last year. National prices have also dropped steadily — by 8% from last year and 39% from 2010.
Solar Property Tax Exclusion Extended
In July, Governor Brown signed SB 871 which extends the existing solar property tax exclusion until January 1, 2025. The continuation of this policy will allow homeowners and businesses to install solar energy without a reassessment of their property taxes. In addition, extension of the exclusion will enable California utilities to achieve their renewable energy targets at a lower cost to ratepayers. In a recent report, States are driving the explosive growth in solar and renewables in general. (From the California SEIA) Good hunting.
v.85.0—What's the Buzz v.85.0--Solar Power 'Surge' in the USA!
Trevor Hughes published a great article for USA Today, entitled 'Solar power charging ahead in America' that heralds the explosive growth of renewable solar energy in the US. He estimates that 10% of our country's energy needs could be generated by the sun in 15 years, citing a new study. Today, only 1% of the Earth's energy is generated from solar. That said, we've almost tripled our solar usage in the past three years! "Goals that even a handful of years ago seemed unimaginable ... now are wholly realistic," said Rob Sargent, co-author of the report issued Thursday by Environment America. "The rate at which solar is growing is far beyond what most people understand it to be."
This rise in solar energy is being driven by individual states. California has set aggressive 33% renewable energy usage by 2020. Other states are following suit. Sargent explains that many previous forecasts were based on outdated use / cost estimates. The rapid increase in installations has driven costs down quickly. Good hunting.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/24/solar-power-report/70027228/
v.84.0—Evolution of US Solar Market growth since 2010
A brand new article in greentechsolar: provides a wonderful review of the growth in solar across the top 30 solar US markets. Mike Munsell and Jacob Rosenburg, in a November 11 article, detail the explosive growth from a mere 1,164 cumulative megawatts of solar PV to explode to over 14,000 megawatts as of late 2014! Among US states, CA came in first, increasing from Q1 '11 with 1,000 megawatts installed to Q4 '13 the state installed 1,200 in just 3 months! Other states of mention are AZ, NJ, MA and NC. Based on the graph in the article, NV is poised for huge gains in solar installation, as is CO.
Interestingly, there is a slight diagonal swath across the Midwest from MN, WI down through IL and IN, TN to FL. NY also is experiencing great solar growth. Who's next? Good hunting
v.83.0—CA Wrestles With Solar Data Collection Responsibilities
Nora Caley writes in Solar Industry that in October the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) announced its decision to transfer responsibility for collecting solar stats away from the soon-to-end California Solar Initiative (CSI) and has ordered the 3 CA Utilities to add data fields in the customer net-energy metering interconnection application and it will be the Utilities' responsibility to transfer the data for posting on the CSS website.
The Utilities and SolarCity objected. The previous CSI funding for rebates has been depleted and with it the data collection function. The added costs of collection from these sources would inevitably add to the cost of every installation. The CA solar community believes that MORE, rather than less information on the true costs, energy savings, etc. could only benefit the entire Clean-Tech Industry. More later. Good Hunting.
v.82.0 — West-Facing Solar Panels Revealed to Produce More Valuable Solar to the Grid
An October 13, 2014 article by Herman K. Trabish in Utility Dive writes about empirical proof from the California Energy Commission that found in a predictive analysis of 1000 typical homes with 4kW west-facing rooftop solar systems of the course of a year in Fresno, CA found West-facing panels produced a 20% energy reduction (1100 megawatt-hours) compared to the same homes with south-facing systems AND a 56% total energy increase (700 mW hours) during peak demand hours (2:00 pm to 8:00 pm).
Reports that utilities and grid operators are concerned with meeting big peak demand ramps in metro areas and rooftop solar's potential coincident electricity supply is becoming increasingly valuable. The New Solar Homes Partnership (NSHP) is examining incentives for California's builders. The problem is that the builders receive the incentive, not the homeowners. Good Hunting..
v.81.0 — The 'Skills Gap' slows economic growth in California
Tiffany Hsu wrote a great article in the Business Section of the LA Times Friday, October 31st, detailing a compelling reason the economy has stalled in its economic rebound--a gap in people with specialized knowledge capable of doing the job, technologically speaking. Hourly wage labor jobs are easier to fill than the higher salaried engineering, teaching, training positions at the higher end of the compensation / responsibility spectrum.
There are a number of reasons given for the skills gap widening, primarily an organic change in the jobs themselves--they're becoming more specialized and knowledge-based, leaving people unqualified to fill them. Another reason for the gap is the companies have unrealistic expectations for what they want to pay for a particular skill set. The example Hsu gives is, a company may want an MIT Engineer with 5 years of experience, but will only want to pay $15 per hour. It simply isn't going to happen. Competition for top talent drives talent to the companies willing to pay for those specialized skills or knowledge-base.
Another theory Hsu floats is that the skills gap may be cyclical--the hordes of Baby boomers retiring will leave jobs that there are no qualified replacements for, so those people who DO qualify for the best available jobs will be re-employed first and the remaining pool of talent is the real problem, in that they can't do the jobs that need to be done, for lack of knowledge, training or skills.
In order for HR Departments and companies to better address this need for quality hires, they need to partner with schools and provide more / better on-the-job training programs and help themselves to develop their work forces organically, rather than simply wait around for the 'good hire' to walk in the front door or to respond to a job posting online.
One beneficiary of the skills gap has been technical / trade schools. Once viewed skeptically, they're growing in popularity. Also, job mentoring programs will have to be better tailored to the needs of companies and to the changing workforce. The moral of the story seems to be--Good help is harder than ever to find! Good Hunting.
v.80.0 — The Solar Business is Booming in California!
As the SPI conference winds down in Las Vegas, the California Solar division of SEIA reports the following: 'There are currently more than 1,889 solar companies at work throughout the value chain in California. These companies provide a wide variety of solar products and services ranging from solar system installations to the manufacturing of components used in photovoltaic panels. These companies can be broken down across the following categories: 357 manufacturers, 86 manufacturing facilities, 937 contractor/installers, 113 project developers, 133 distributors and 349 engaged in other solar activities including financing, engineering and legal support.'
While this is very heartening for the environment and for the state's future independence from overwhelming fossil fuel usage, what it points up, is the huge need for Business development and solar project development talent and with so many companies competing for the same talent pool, what does the smaller operator do to win talent?
The paradigm in the upsurge in renewable solar power development in California is, that the more popular solar development gets, the more competitive to attract the top talent in an ultra-competitive market, with a high Cost-of-Living. And while many large energy farms and installations are done in open, more rural areas, the bulk of business will still be transacted in San Francisco and Greater Los Angeles, based on population density alone.
In Northern California, Millennial talent is being wooed by huge technology companies in Silcon Valley who have already gone to great lengths to attract great people, including the controversial Google buses, unlimited vacations, huge signing bonuses and extravagant overtures to woo techies. This phenomenon is spreading down to LA, in the tech sector. For example, YP in Glendale has started importing the same types of luxury buses to take the West Sider techies to downtown Glendale for work, again, pointing up the aggressive need to market for top talent.
And, it gets worse . . . . With the Baby Boomers retiring in droves, the future isn't looking brighter. The upside of the renewables industry is the widespread acceptance and embrace by young professionals with an environmental consciousness. But, when the large companies and mobile apps tech organizations are rolling out the $$ and perks, it's going to remain a dogfight for decades to come. Good hunting
v.79.0 — Renewable Energy at the Mercy of a Major Talent Crunch!
As the 2014 SPI conference / show wages on in Las Vegas this week, I refer back to a 2008 white paper from Towers Watson, a renowned Professional Services company, entitled: 'Renewable Energy at the Crossroads'. Even though published in the Recession year of 2008, there was already a growing concern in the renewables field, as in every other Industry, that there was a current and growing need for Solar and Environmental talent that would only get worse through 2020.
Fast forward to 10/14: While global initiatives have been put into effect throughout the world, the fact is, never has excellent renewables talent been in greater need / demand and, consequently, harder to find, recruit and onboard with all the competition.
Case Study: I'm currently searching for a BDM and a Solar Development Project Manager for a 5 year-old commercial solar development firm in the Bay Area. The candidates who even bother to respond to direct and indirect recruitment / sourcing ticklers are all saying the same thing: 'It's ultra-competitive out there. Companies, recruiters and Managers are more aggressively and directly reaching out to prospects. The compensation issues are rife between larger, more 'corporate' companies, manufacturers and even Divisions of Utilities and the smaller start-ups. Add a high COL area to the mix and it's a jungle out there!
So, a quick SWOT analysis is in order:
1. How shy of YOUR company's recruitment / talent acquisition goals is your firm?
2. Have you implemented changes to your talent acquisition strategy?
3. Have you recently performed Industry compensation metrics to see if you're being competitive?
As a Solar Recruitment Specialist, I deal with these issues with a number of clients. We believe a thorough, yet balanced talent acquisition strategy includes the following: A strong social media presence; a mix of online advertising, using compelling language and not tired old job descriptions; use of search / recruiters for certain positions; conference / show attendance and networking.
4. The strength here is the growth of the Solar / Renewables consciousness, coupled with Government's willingness to implement emissions standards on fossil fuels.
5. The weaknesses can be your company strategy, or lack of one; your ability to compensate the type of experience / knowledge you require; or an inability to recognize what a talent glut we're in in 2014.
From 2008, the forecast was, that by now there is a predicted shortage of 3 million skilled / experienced solar professionals by and a gap of 3.7 million by 2020. Recognition of the need to upgrade talent acquisition strategies will arm you to address this talent glut in your own organization, moving forward with knowledge of what the market reports. Good hunting.
v.78.0 — The New Trend in Solar?
According to Utility Dive, SolarCity, the largest rooftop solar installation company in the US is going to begin solar lending--essentially loaning customers the money to purchase panels outright, rather than the third party leasing model. Their CEO Lyndon Rive expects up to 50% of SolarCity's new busines will be in the solar lending market by the end of 2015! The new business model will role out in eight states initially: Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New York and New Jersey. Under their new MyPower loan program, customers take out a loan on a fixed annual percentage rate of 4.5% for 30 years. The company expects that this new model will expand the market in previously untapped markets. If you're looking at a career in solar, better bone up on your financing savvy. This is exciting news for an exploding industry. This is not a groundbreaking business model, as other companies, such as Sungevity, Clean Power Finance and Mosaic, who offer similar financing.
Good Hunting.
v.77.0 — Jobs remain unfilled longer than ever
In a brand new ERE report, Dice measured the national job fill rate for August and Nationally, it's taking 24.9 business days to fill a job vacancy, only a tick off Junes 25.1 days. So, what does this means to companies, large and small? Degree of difficulty, Baby! It's simply proving out the old adage 'Good Help is Hard to Find'!
Another way to express it is, the average number of job openings is increasing, or conversely, the labor force is shrinking while the number of opportunities is creeping up. The deeper problem is, the unemployed people in the US and elsewhere should be dancing in the streets at this report, because that means more interviews and more jobs, right? Not exactly, as Industries need technology, educated professionals and most of the jobless in the US and elsewhere are simply unqualified to perform these jobs. This is a growing problem.
And, gulp--for some industries, the time-to-fill can be 50% above the national average. http://bit.ly/1tbDuj7
Good Hunting.
v.76.0 — China, the Climate & the Fate of the Planet
Rolling Stone Magazine's Jeff Goodell wrote an extremely eye-opening article on the changing face of energy usage in China. China is currently experiencing explosive growth, coupled with an insatiable need for energy; the country is choking on it's own Greenhouse gases, from the dirty coal plants they are utilizing, causing Global hardship and unbreathable air conditions in the Industrial areas of Mainland China. Up to now, China's Government has rejected bids to convert from dirty coal to renewable energy sources; however, with the effects of catastrophic weather change, hurricanes, etc., the Chinese Government is taking a new stance toward energy usage and possibly ushering in a HUGE opportunity for renewable energy, particularly wind and solar.
Goodell makes the point explicitly: 'Unless the West can persuade other countries to take climate action seriously, nothing any single nation does is going to matter much when it comes to solving the problem. Except, that is, for China. The blunt truth is that what China decides to do in the next decade will likely determine whether or not mankind can halt – or at least ameliorate – global warming.'
John Kerry is heading the talks with China and is well aware of the critical nature of those climate / energy talks. The article goes on to describe a timeline that needs to get the needle moving in the right direction, or their won't be time for enough significant change to avert global disasters and hurricanes / flooding and drought. The 3 factors that make this conference different than in the past:
a. Climate change is no longer a hypothetical--it's real and it's here now. The Chinese see and feel this.
b. The largest obstacle in the past to a meaningful climate agreement with China has traditionally been the US, itself. But, since the Obama Administration's crackdown efforts in the US, we can now ask other Nations, 'Here's what we've done on climate change and cleaner energy--Now what are YOU going to do in your country?
c. Finally and paradoxically, China's relentless demand for energy itself will drive change. Chinese Leaders see what the decades of hypergrowth have caused in their country and soon Goodell suggests the Chinese will have a revolt on their hands if they don't change.
So, the cautious hope is, that the 'solar gold rush' could be on in the largest country in the world, which spells opportunity for US Solar Companies, as China doesn't have the technology yet, to convert to renewable technologies without US or Canadian knowhow. Good Hunting
v.75.0 — Is Water the New Gold Rush?
In Saturday's July 26, 2014 LA Times, David Pierson wrote a deeply disturbing article about the depths of our California drought conditions and what California's Central Valley growers are being forced to do to provide water in the valleys that produce half of the USA's fruit, nuts and vegetables. Drilling companies are going to depths of over 2000 feet to try to access water that was fairly abundant at several hundred feet 20 years ago. The drilling demand is so great that farms' wait lists for California drilling companies stretches into 2 year waits, forcing large farms to contract drilling firms from out-of-state to curb the insane demands in Central California.
In some areas of Central Valley California the state is losing 30 feet of groundwater this year alone. A previous Times article reported that the average temperatures for the state are up to 6 degrees hotter, a World record since these statistics have been measured. To now, well water in the state has mitigated the insane depths of our drought, although with that said, researchers estimate a $1 Billion lost revenue and $500 Million in additional pumping costs for this year alone (a fraction of the $40 Billion the drilling industry brings in annually).
So, is the old saying, the next World War won't be about oil, it'll be over water, true? It remains to be seen. Good Hunting
v.74.0 — Is LinkedIn Fading Among Recruiters?
My good friend Marcia forwarded an article to me by Will Thomson, published in Recruiting Daily: 'LinkedIn Is Still The King . . . .For Now'. Software Advice, a subsidiary of Gartner, Inc. just released a study of interviews from over 150 recruiters across sectors, industries and geographies about their current and forecasted job board use, studying the most effective job boards for their recruiting dollar. Their study focused on the following resources: LinkedIn, Indeed, CareerBuilder, Monster, Glassdoor and Craigslist.
In my recruiting experience, job boards seem to have been around forever, although that isn't true, of course. We were heavy users of Headhunter.net (acquired by CareerBuilder), HotJobs (acquired by Monster), back in the day. We held multi-job contracts at one time with both CareerBuilder and HotJobs (15 ads per board) and were wildly successful during boom times, until the efficacy of the (at that time) most popular boards wore off. To be fair, Indeed is a job aggregator from jobs posted anywhere online, rather than a pure career board like Monster. Similarly, Glassdoor came into view more like an Angie's List or Yelp, reviewing companies from the employee viewpoint and salary surveys, etc.
The biggest surprise on that list to me, was Craigslist's inclusion. I never gave that medium any serious consideration for anything but selling used stuff out of my garage or old musical gear. However, the article states that Craigslist did over $300MM in employment ad revenues this year and is growing. Thomson believes that 2014 is the year the cracks in LinkedIn's armor will start to affect it's grip on being the most effective way to attract talent.
Another surprise, the survey failed to take FaceBook into account, an oversight that Thomson believes will be corrected in 2015. Is LinkedIn losing it's luster for you? Think about it . . . . Good Hunting
v.73.0 — Got Space? Warehousing's filling up LA
In the July 17th edition of the LA Times, Roger Vincent wrote about the swelling demand for warehouse space in the Southern California area, primarily due to the huge boon in online sales. The trend is, we consumers are used to ordering everything in the world online and we expect a package at our doors tomorrow! This has reshaped the whole country's industrial real estate market and is spurring further development of warehousing space in the Southland.
Southern California is ideally suited for this boom--major seaports, dense population concentration make Los Angeles a hub for this online sales / storage / logistics and shipping all over the country, particularly for foreign goods. This trend is still trending upward at a sizzling pace. By 2017 over 10% of all US retail will be done online, compared to 6.2% in 2013!
So, what does this mean to Southern California's economic / business climate? Well, we'll be needing more light industrial warehousing people and more warehouse management staff. Material handling equipment will get even more robotic and automated, taking away some of those light industrial temporary jobs in the next decade. Trucking, UPS-type delivery services will thrive; more and more packages will be delivered by drones or robotized delivery systems. The future is arriving--in a box from UPS!
Good Hunting
v.72.0 — The Most (and Least) Desirable places to live and work
The ERE.net is a wonderful resource for Talent Acquisition Professionals, with a ton of excellent articles, trends and a continual view of the changing face of employment in the US and the World. In the most recent edition, Todd Raphael published a great July 16 article entitled 'Here Are the Countries and the States Where People Want (and Don’t Want) to Work'.
His first illustration is Global location desirability. The US owns 100% desirability, with India at 31.3%, UK, 28.7%, Canada, 17.7% and Japan 16.0%. It plunges wildly from there.
It's the Undesirability and percentages of people looking for jobs outside there country that stands out: Saudi Arabia, 65%, Luxembourg (?), 63.7% Nd Oman 53.6% and Kuwait, 50%.
Next, we tackle US preferences: The District of Columbia features 56.0% of its Professional population looking for jobs outside DC. Of the total 48 Professionals in Wyoming, 47.8% want out; West Virginia, 46.8% and North Dakota, in spite of low unemployment rates due to mining, 46.5% Professionals are looking elsewhere.
In terms of location desirability, no state tax and great employment prospects, the big US winner for location is Texas at 100%. Florida is a close second at 99.2% and finally, California running third at 97.1% and the fourth place going to the New York, at 86.1%.
South Dakota is the least desirable place to look for work, with Rhode Island next and Wyoming a close third-to-last.
While some results are a given, several of these conclusions were eye-opening. Is crime the reason people want out of DC? Or is it the cost-of-living? If cost of living is a turn off, then why would NYC and California rate so high? Warm weather states indicate that quality of life and work / life balance may be more important than cost-of-living. Good Hunting.
v.71.0 — The Boomer Gap! It's here!
In a both positive and, potentially dangerous article posted in the LA Daily News Business Section, in an article by Christopher S. Rugaber, 'Employers post most job openings in years'. Hail, hail! The recession's officially over, right? Well, not so fast: While employers posted 4.64 million jobs, the sad fact is that there aren't near enough qualified people to fill them. That's true: There are about 2.2 unemployed people per new job that ARE NOT QUALIFIED for those available. The Boomer Gap isn't coming, the Boomer Gap is here! Big time.
Another facet of this evolving issue is, while recruiters are busy setting up interviews and people are quitting their current jobs at an unparalleled rate (another indication that they have better job opportunities in this market), our sources indicate there are a major number of people accepting a new position, only to fall off as a new employee, because their former company makes a huge counteroffer to retain them. This is a vicious circle for companies of all sizes.
But, the main point is: The work force has to improve it's skills to qualify for available modern employment and companies must do better to recruit and to retain it's workforces with strong succession plans in place for upper management. Good Hunting.
v.70.0 — The Trend Toward 'Encore Careers' for Baby Boomers
Walter Hamilton, writing for the LA Times, wrote a fascinating article on a fast-rising trend among Baby Boomers, 50 years old and older. The simple facts are: Americans are living a LOT longer today than they did even twenty years ago. My parents lived 20-30 years longer than my Grandparents. Many Americans who have some retirement funds built up, aren't sure if they have enough to even retire at 65.
Many people have been displaced, laid off or their companies have gone out of business. Finding a similar job in that age group becomes a greater and greater challenge. This is where 'encore careers' became a coined phrase in employment circles. Most Boomers will be forced into temporary / contract, part-time or lower-paid positions, either in a private sector Service position or in Public Service or non-profit.
The realities of both our economic situation and the longer life spans of the citizens of the world have converged, leaving older people to examine what is important to them, and notions of a conventional retirement don't even compute to our current, healthier and younger-thinking Boomers. Many times, they AREN'T ready to pack in their career ambitions. They simply must adjust their goals and expectations. For our readers in the 'Boomer' category, an 'encore' career may be a very viable and rewarding option. Good Hunting.
v.69.0 — A Ray of Hope for the Planet
In the July 13-17 issue of Rolling Stone, Al Gore wrote an extremely hopeful article on the remarkable and explosive growth of alternative energy, particularly solar energy, as a viable solution to the threat of Global Warming. Up to 2014, the economics prevented the large-scale implementation of residential, utility and commercial systems as any serious threat to the existing Utility-based Grid model of electrical generation / distribution. Gore's conclusion: 'There is surprising – even shocking – good news: Our ability to convert sunshine into usable energy has become much cheaper far more rapidly than anyone had predicted. The cost of electricity from photovoltaic, or PV, solar cells is now equal to or less than the cost of electricity from other sources powering electric grids in at least 79 countries. By 2020 – as the scale of deployments grows and the costs continue to decline – more than 80 percent of the world's people will live in regions where solar will be competitive with electricity from other sources.' In the USA, the economics of any industry determine where the industry is going. In this case, solar expansion has exploded beyond even Gore's wildest dreams.
Germany's coal utilities are losing money and market share. They generate 37% of their electricity from wind and solar and analysts predict that Germany will be at 50% by 2020. In the US, 49% of the new power generation is from renewables, since 2012. Old-school utilities like Edison are waging a losing battle to keep the alternative energy at bay, because their model is outmoded and they're losing massive profits.
But, the developing nations will reap the greatest benefits of the solar revolution. With the costs of solar falling, 3rd World countries are bypassing the Grid altogether and leapfrogging straight to PV, microgrids and internal storage batteries. Bangladesh is installing 2 new rooftop PV systems every hour of every day! In 2001, scientists scoffed at the idea of an installed base of over 1 gigawatt by 2010. That goal was beaten by 17 times, which is where the ray of hope lies. Now that the economics of solar have proven to be reliable, the alternative revolution will continue to combat the destruction of Global Warming. Good Hunting.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/the-turning-point-new-hope-for-the-climate-20140618#ixzz36Q9uTEsa
v.68.0 — The Microgrid
Shan Li wrote a really compelling article for the Los Angeles Times last Wednesday on the growth of the 'microgrid' in Southern California. The surprising news in this particular story is that the growth of solar and alternative energy recently has been driven by elderly people who don't trust the public utilities. Li points to a 71 year-old woman worried about charging her wheelchair battery and her cell phone, living alone.
Angelenos, concerned about earthquake preparedness, brownouts and other power outages, wildfires, are looking for alternatives to utility-based energy. And, the cost savings off-the-grid are attractive to retirees, as well. With better battery storage, there are a growing number of homeowners, government agencies and businesses turning to microgrids to reduce their power bills and their carbon footprint and taxing the grid less in the process.
Forecasts are for microgrid projects to explode from $4.3 Billion this year to over $19.9 Billion by 2020. One reason fueling this growth is that the power supply quality has weakened in recent years. The terrible storms on the East Coast have accelerated this trend.
Microgrids are alternative ways of generating, storing and using energy. They operate in conjunction with, or independent of, utility electricity. California is a huge market, mainly with the state's aggressive push for renewable energy. State regulators are pushing the large producers to expand their storage capacity by 2020. This is good news for the environment and certainly a boost to the already robust alternative energy industry, financially. Good hunting!
v.67.0 — Negotiating salary
Dona DeZube, writing for Monster Careers, wrote a timely article for the Los Angeles Daily News on tips for negotiating salary, either for a new job or at review time.
Her point is that the primary advantage of negotiating an offer is demonstrating to the company that you know how to negotiate! This is traditionally an area of great discomfort for many people, to their financial detriment.
Dona points out that unless a person asks, you don't know what you're leaving on the table. She rightly points out that there are multiple parts to an offer that go beyond a base salary. Many perks besides that number can be successfully negotiated, including length of vacation, extra flex time or sick days, bonus or commissions. All of these various elements are potentially on the table in a negotiation.
Questions to ask:
1. Is this a firm offer of employment?
2. Is this offer negotiable?
3. Is this number for the base salary only, or is there a bonus?
4. When do you need an answer?
There are numerous questions the author brings up, but you can see how many talking points are available in any salary negotiation. These potential perks will only b e available if you ask! The same tactics can be broached at review time, but by then a person normally knows if bonus, is available in that role, for example. So, don't merely believe that the first offer you receive is either non-negotiable or that you'll be perceived as selfish for asking. The ability to demonstrate your negotiating skills will be respected by your employer. Good hunting.
v.66.0 — On-shoring, the New Trend to Bring jobs back to the US
Don Lee, writing for the LA Times, wrote a very compelling article on the state of manufacturing jobs in the US and the new trend away from outsourcing manufacturing jobs offshore, even to the point of many companies bringing their manufacturing back to the US, due to new global economic realities.
The reasons for this switch in thinking? Glad you asked--Take Mexico and China, for example. While labor is still cheaper in other countries, fuel to ship raw materials and finished products back and forth makes the savings in labor moot. Quality--many more technical product manufacturers find that increased inspection and QC costs mitigate offshore labor savings. Not having manufacturing operations physically near headquarters makes change slower. Another local LA example is the move made by Toyota USA to Texas. The LA business leaders all screamed that the state and county regulations and a lack of business incentives drove Toyota out. But, in reality, Toyota executives stated that the only real motivation for the move was to get closer to the actual manufacturing plants, not reduced taxation or lack of incentives to stay. Technology: Using more automation, companies like Generac in Wisconsin can use one worker to make an alternator faster and with higher quality control than 4 Chinese laborers. Inflation of the Chinese currency--China's base wage rose 17% last year alone. And, lastly, fracking technology has led to a 25% decrease in the cost of gasoline in the US.
Lee states that US factory payrolls have grown for four straight years with job gains totaling over 650,000 jobs. This year, the number of jobs leaving the US are roughly equal to the jobs returning, an encouraging trend.
The US needs these manufacturing jobs. This is the most encouraging trend we could have, economically! Made in the USA is starting to mean quality again. Good Hunting.
v.65.0 — Water
We're facing a major drought and a long, hot summer, impacting the world food supply, the US economy and states like California, particularly. The national beef prices are approaching historic highs, the winter weather and the lack of water this spring have decimated feed crops, reducing herds and beef output. This will not be a discussion of the causes of our water shortage, so much as a forum for what we as individuals can do to avoid wasting water. Lake Mead in Nevada is at it's lowest point in decades, prompting Las Vegas to seriously worry about having enough water to run the city. Las Vegas, incidentally utilizes as much gray water for it's water attractions as is possible to recycle. It's Mother Nature who is holding back on providing replacement for our water table.
Gray water usage, particularly for landscapes and public areas should become mandatory. I personally live in a community with no water meters on individual homes and our homeowners association charges us in our monthly association dues. This makes families feel like water is free, so much is wasted. While 40-50% of our monthly fees are for water. It's far from free. Water is more expensive than gasoline and soon it will be even more so.
Particularly this summer, it's important for all of us to limit wasting water, whether it's shorter showers, shutting the water off when we brush our teeth, running larger wash loads or installing rain gutters to water lawns and gardens without waste. Please help to save water. It helps all of us.
Good hunting.
v.64.0 — A New Tech Bubble Burst?
As Chris O'Brien wrote recently in the LA Times, venture capital is rising in San Jose to levels not seen since prior to the dot.com bust in 2001. The question plaguing Money Managers, Stock Traders, Tech and non-Tech companies alike--Where is this headed? To prosperity, or to another tech bust?
On one hand, some Futurists predict that the mobile / cloud explosion is worth 'big bets' and that it's 'unlike' the economic frenzy predicating the dot.com bust, at a 'Goldilocks Moment'--not too hot nor too cold. Just right for investing! Some startups are growing at such a warp speed, conventional means of measuring their growth or obsolete. Is this a cause for massive celebration? Or, a pause for reflection, based on stacks of useless stock options in 2001.
After a decade of trying to convince wary investors that the old dot.com bust days are over, the venture groups have opened their arms and their wallets in 2013 / 2014.The Nasdaq climbed to 4,357.97 early in March, up from 3,320.76 last June. Netflix and Facebook shares more than doubled in value. In 2014, there have been 24 Tech IPO's already and it's only May.
So-called experts in the Tech space seem highly confident that, even if there is a bubble, that is significantly smaller than the ones in 1999 - 2000. One investment officer was quoted feels 'Growth is hard to find. If you find it, the price goes way up!'
Our advice to investors is to remain optimistic, but be aware of potential hints of another tech bust. Good Hunting.
v.63.0 — All Business News CA
So, how's business in CA these days? It's complicated--Toyota is bailing to TX, taking 2000 great professional jobs with them. Not good for CA. The Aerospace Industry is going through tough times as well, with long term Long Beach Boeing contracts finally coming to an end. The Entertainment Industry is getting some help from Mayor Garcetti to lure back a lot of the film / television production we've lost to various states' incentive maneuvers. The fact is, Southern California has the most skilled production workforce, the studios and prime locations. However, like in so many other Industries, production companies, studios and entertainment companies in general have outsourced production to Canada, MI and to many other states.
On the flip side, CA is sitting on, perhaps one of the most lucrative shale oil deposits in the world. Getting it safely out of the ground is a major challenge, but one that can be met! Alternative Energy is in the news: The Blythe Solar Project, albeit in a different form than originally proposed is set to fire up. So, what does that mean to the State and people of California? We should be doing more in solar energy production, for sure! One of our clients, Skyline Innovations, is making a strong impact among multi-family residences by providing solar water heating and photo-voltaic systems in CA. Growth in alternative energy and water conservation should be the top priorities, as our agriculture is another big part of the greater California economy.
Business must engage the local, county and state legislators to seriously fight back for business in California! Losing multiple Industries and thousands of skilled job opportunities hurts the state in too many ways to count. The tax base erodes, less money for public services and education. It effects real estate markets, tourism, sub-contractors, developers. California must work harder with Industry to forge mutually profitable partnerships to bring in new business, not to chase it to other states / countries. Good Hunting.
v.62.0 — The Facts on Fracking
The LA Times published an excellent Patt Morrison interview with renowned Stanford Geophysicist, National Academy of Engineering's Deepwater Horizon Investigation Committee and fracking expert Mark Zoback, asking probing questions to help Californians to understand the true nature of hydraulic fracturing or fracking and it's huge potential benefits to the State, to the Nation reduction of our dependency on foreign oil.
The Monterey Shale play in the San Joaquin Valley is quoted as being the current 'second Gold Rush', based on the quantity of oil under the surface of Central CA. However, Environmentalists have put oil companies on notice that they're very wary of the dangers to our water supply, earthquake and other seismic activity, as a result of fracking. The interviewer also had Mr. Zoback explain the complications and risks inherent in freeing that shale oil from the complex plate activity of the earth in Central California.
Addressing the heavy use of the state's primary other endangered asset, water, Mr. Zoback noted that contaminated water that is not potable, saline water or brackish waters, recycled gray water and other materials have been safely substituted for fresh water and so, allayed fears of dropping the fresh water while drilling for shale oil.
Mr. Zoback, for his part is a true environmentalist in his personal and family life. They've driven hybrids for the past several years, have installed solar panels and will be utilizing Mr. sunshine for all of their home's energy needs within a year or so, when the solar panels are paid off. So, he's not merely pushing fossil fuels. However, prudence is required, as the world still operates on fossil fuels and his position is, that the state, the US and the world are all to benefit from the safe removal of the abundant oil resources in the San Joaquin Valley. Zoback also urges greater transparency among drilling and upstream oil companies to the public to eliminate the suspicions behind a lack of credible information on the safety of fracking and it's definite opportunities to get the state back to a balanced budget, provide the country with it's own oil reserves and to reduce our need for foreign oil products. This article appeared in the Wednesday, April 23, 2014 issue. It's an insightful read that gave me much more confidence in the safety of fracking in Central California. Good Hunting.
v.61.0 — Business Vocabulary
It's not just what you say, but how you say it, apparently. In a compelling employment article by Thad Peterson, Monster Staff Writer and printed in the Los Angeles Daily News, he thinks 'it's one of the major reasons why an individual gets hired or not or is passed-over for promotion. Does this factoid indicate we should all get our business thesauruses out and start to memorize 'big' words, 'buzz words' or acronyms to merely sound intelligent?
NO! But, when I think about it, the quality of communication I have with anyone, particularly in business, is an involuntary but immediate reaction, positive or negative. It's bad enough socially, but the use of slang, jargon or sloopy speeling (sic) can quickly derail your career, no matter what context. What SHOULD we be doing to improve our communication skills?
SLOW DOWN! Do the things we were actually taught in English class--proofread EVERYTHING carefully. Especially texts and emails. The auto-correct feature on smart phones is too smart for it's breeches sometimes. I, myself am a pretty lousy typist, accuracy-wise, so I have errors in every communication via email, unless I take that one minute to check it. You should, too.
I tend to over punctuate and to over-enunciate in person. I try to work on this, but I max out punctuation for emphasis. It can become tiresome on the other end and I have to constantly remind myself to be concise, clear and professional. Spell checking can be tricky, as well. Simply hitting spell check and not being careful can yield some embarrassing communiques, too. Many words are homonyms and synonyms, spelled differently or completely different words that will be missed in usage, because, technically there is a word like it and it's spelled correctly, simply used mistakenly.
So, be Professional--slow down; check your work; proofread carefully. Measure twice so you only have to cut once. Good Hunting!
v.60.0
I just ran across an excellent article and resource on business2community.com, another super site for sales / marketing people. A surprising study and it's results were the genesis for a comparison between content marketing and Public Relations, (http://www.business2community.com/public-relations/pr-80-effective-content-marketing-0824346#!Duuej) by Sarah Skerik. Nielsen conducted a survey whose results show that PR in any media is over 80% to 88% more compelling than carefully crafted 'branding' information. It stands to reason--If I say my own company is great, you can be skeptical because it's so 'me' oriented, but if you hear about me from any other means, someone you trust talks about my company, or there's a PR release you receive, someone else says my company is great, so you believe it more strongly. Human nature, right? People are wary of the credibility of crafted content marketing.
The problem is, it's much harder to quantify the exact impact of PR on driving a business. PR is considered by most, as 'earned media / influence'. The article goes on to detail several tactics PR developers should steal from content marketing, such as keeping reader actions in mind when preparing PR content. 'Think of it this way: every piece of content your brand issues online- press releases, blog posts, articles, backgrounders, etc. — becomes a web page. When that page captures the fleeting attention of a visitor, your organization has the opportunity to communicate powerfully and personally with that person. Within that moment, you have their attention and with it, the opportunity to channel their next actions.'
Read more at http://www.business2community.com/public-relations/pr-80-effective-content-marketing-0824346#hGwpLywxmDparTPC.99
Good Hunting!
v.59.0
Sales Chat 101: In the resources department, this WTB will focus on a great resource for anyone doing business development and sales. If you don't use Data.com as a tool, you're in for a great big surprise: We primarily were made aware of this fantastic tool when it was called Jigsaw. We used to use it primarily as a name gathering tool when investigating target companies. And, it's great for that purpose. However, there's so much more to explore on their site.
A portion of their site is a question / answer format called 'All Things Sales'. FANTASTIC! Several salient questions are posed by members (It's free to become a member), such as, 'When cold calling when do you give out your name / company, if at all. It's amazing how several responses, while 180 degrees opposite in practice, had very compelling reasons for giving out your name and company at the top, all the way to 'You are irrelevant to the prospect; the only person who needs your name will be your actual prospect or suspect when marketing.' Other responses were: 'I always open with my name / company because it adds credibility and professionalism to the call. When I receive a call and the caller doesn't immediately identify him / herself, I get suspicious and NOT in the best buying mood!' Both, very valid points. Probably your personal choice depends on your personal style and which you feel most comfortable with.
Here is the link to another great article on LinkedIn sourcing for more contacts.
This information can help ANYONE: Marketers, job seekers, people doing market research on prospective companies, sales pros, Executives. If you're not utilizing the tremendous FREE resources available from Data.com, you're missing out!
Good Hunting.
v.58.0
The latest ERE.net has an excellent article, 'The Top 10 Highest-impact Strategic Recruiting Challenges', by Dr. John Sullivan - Apr 7, 2014.
He says the greatest threats to Corporate in-house Talent Acquisition Departments are: Being unprepared for a return to intense recruiting competition for the top talent; as the economy grows, the number of open requisition will overload in-house recruiting systems; eroding skills of recruiters, based on the years of low volume need to recruit. He points up the speed at which business operates today, as opposed to 6 years ago, prior to the recession. Sullivan points out that many large companies have let their 'brands' as employee destinations tarnish and that they won't exactly compete for the best and brightest talent. Without innovation Mr. Sullivan believes a Talent Acquisition Department can underperform, so he believes action should be taken to find truly innovative in-house recruiting talent. He believes that new, sophisticated metrics must be developed and delivered to emphasize ROI in the Boardroom, particularly where it concerns overall quality of hire.
Also, he cautions, the recession has decimated the ranks of in-house recruitment talent and those who've left HR completely, left with a bad taste in their mouth, so actually recruiting the recruiter will be tougher. The final challenge is a mash-up of several of the others: Lack of ability to make a strong business case for more funding in the Talent Acquisition level will result in budget cuts, rather than increased resources.
What does this mean for your company? It's a storm warning; much like making sure you have emergency kits prepared for earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes and floods, companies have to review their entire recruiting function and do a thorough SWOT analysis. What are your strengths in recruiting? What weaknesses do you detect, when reading about the 10 above threats to acquisition of the best talent? Where are your unique opportunities to get a jump on the competition for top talent in your industry? How do you determine your greatest threats in talent acquisition?
We believe that smaller companies take another look at 3rd Party recruiters. As the candidate market tightens, someone has to do the heavy recruitment lifting. Those people are Headhunters.
What to do if you're a Professional contemplating a change in mid-2014? I'm working heavily in the chemical / oil / gas industry, recruiting various Engineering talent, Operations management, Business Development types of talent. While there's no end of potential new opportunities, you have to decide what is most important to you? Doing something new because you're bored currently? You want to develop into management faster? You believe you're underpaid for your experience, education or skill set? List what is most important about a change to least important. Now, as you read postings, use your priority list to help you to decide which role meets your greatest wants and needs.
Review your resume, ensuring that you have your quantifiable impact in your current and past roles. Make certain that there are metrics whenever possible. Read and download 'Pillars of a Successful Interview' from our site. It offers a comprehensive proactive preparation for your successful interview performance. Polish up your business correspondence writing skills. Follow all interviews with a short, professional 'thank you' for their time. The follow up says more about you than the content of the email itself. Set up regular search utilizing jobs@indeed.com or other job posting boards. We recommend indeed.com, as they are an aggregator of jobs from all job boards, corporate job sites, etc. It saves you time.
Good Hunting
v.57.0 How is 2014 going for YOU?
I hesitate to use the term 'Recovery' to describe Q1, 2014. However, I believe saying that we're in the midst of a Comeback isn't overselling the state of the economy. But, what's most important--How is 2014 going for YOU? You're not interested in whether the Recruitment Industry is thriving or flailing--you want to know how YOUR prospects will fare this year.
COMPANIES
Have markets in YOUR space opened up wider in 2014? What can YOU be doing to build your business in the current market. Does YOUR company need to add staff this quarter; are YOU personally looking to make a change; to do something different? It's a good time to get active.
3 Questions YOUR company should answer when considering Talent Acquisition Strategies:
1. Do 'multiple job board aggregators' that brag about putting your job on 40 different job boards simultaneously actually get you the best candidates and speed up the 'time to hire'? NO--that's simply a make-work strategy, destined to fail at an exponential rate for a mid-sized internal Talent Acquisition Department.
2. When employing 3rd party search, do you utilize multiple contingency search firms in a competitive 'first to market with the low hanging fruit' strategy? How's THAT working for you? Would it surprise you to know that that results in duplication of effort, wasted time sharing the same info with multiple agencies?
3. Selection of the best 'fit' of a search firm can be as important to your success as who you hire. When electing to work with one specific search partner, how do you select which partner to use? The largest firm that advertises the most often for your business? Do you maintain a short preferred vendor list? How often is it reviewed / updated? What metrics do you employ to measure their relative success?
SB Solutions provides a variety of partnering / pricing models to offer flexibility for you particular needs. Call Steve or Gary for more information on winning talent search strategies. Good Hunting.
PROFESSIONALS
What does the 2014 job market mean to YOU? I'm intimately aware that many industries are bouncing back. In recent weeks, several of our best clients have retained us on business development searches in industrial, medical, pharmaceutical and process equipment searches. Since December, 2013, I've branched into recruiting Process, Reliability, Rotating Equipment and Production Engineers in the Process Chemical / Refinery Industry and that market is blistering hot.
Stability is all important, as are Professional designations, certifications. The best thing a Professional can do in today's market is to keep your resume current; update your LinkedIn profile; occasionally check out postings for jobs you qualify for. Register with SB Solutions. Add a new skill or certification. Make yourself more marketable on paper and in reality. Punch up the achievements on your resume. Good Hunting.
© 2013
v.56.0 Happy New Year!
Before all the fizz is out of the bottle, before the last rose is picked off the street in Pasadena, let us wish you a very Happy New Year, 2014! And, watching 2013 disappear in the rearview, I don't feel too bad. 2013 was a rebound year for the economy, but I'm looking forward to a much more productive, prosperous 2014!
Because of the massive needs developing in the Chemical Process / Petrochemical Industry, I have been recruited to develop a niche in high value Process / Rotating Equipment / Reliability Engineering for that industry. I will be seeking stable, degreed Chem / BSME / BSEE candidates with an American degree, US citizenship / Green Card and 2-15 years of experience outside of school. I represent the top chemical, petrochemical, specialty, fine, agrichemical companies in the world.
The economy is poised for growth this year. Beyond technology and mobile applications, manufacturers are bringing more jobs back to the US. There is greater confidence for growth. The difficulty is finding qualified skill levels with adequate education to fill the needs brought on by growth.
Be poised to answer the call when the Recruiter reaches out. This very well could be YOUR YEAR!
Good hunting.
© 2013
v.55.0 - It's a good news, bad news
It's a good news, bad news scenario in professional employment. While housing prices are rising to near boom times, construction is reviving somewhat and companies ARE hiring. But, the hiring process is becoming a mud slick that many companies can't seem to escape--endless interviewing, multi-month searches, like there's a fear of making any decision, lest the economy go south once again.
Billionaires are warning people about another massive recession and are liquidating stocks. Global markets are iffy. How is your company weathering the economic storm? Do you have open positions that simply go unfilled? In any case, our firm is actually very busy for the summer months. Building materials have come back fairly strongly this year. That's no news bulletin, but we have a significant of activity in that area.
Typically, companies will ramp up their sales forces during good times, then ramp up manufacturing to assist in filling demand. We're seeing all types of position req's--engineering, plant supervision, sales. There is opportunity, but be aware of the time to hire, as it's increased a lot.
Good hunting.
v.54.0 - Q2 2013 US Job Forecast Summary
CareerBuilder.com, a reliable source of intel for the Recruiting Industry, just released the results of it's Q2 US Job Forecast and we felt it was a timely subject, considering the myriad events affecting our economy, Globally, domestically--political and terrorist events affecting job growth, etc.
'The US job market is in a better plac today, but concerns over speding cuts, wavering global economies and other external factors are weighing on employer's minds. We xpect continued stability and improvement as the year goes on. Job growth isn't confied to technology nd healthcare and other areas that have fared well, post-recession. The rebound in the housing sector is having a positive influence on job creation for related industries that have been struggling.'
Q1 hiring was sluggish, with 59% of companies reporting no change in hiring patterns. Only 28% of companies polled showed an increase, while only a sliver (12%) decreased hiring in Q1.
Projections for Q2 reveal that there will be only 26% of companies planning to increase hiring and 60% of companies will stand pat in Q2. Only 9% of companies plan to increase hiring this quarter.
The numbers bode even worse for temporary employment in Q2: 68% of companies DON'T intend to bring temporary workers on for Q2.
By company size: 71% of small companies (50 emp or less) intend no change in Q2. Small business is traditionally the largest incubator of new jobs in the US.
66% of companies with 250 or fewer employees intend to stand pat. 52% of companies with more than 500 employees don't intend to increase hiring this quarter, either.
One bright spot: 33% of companies larger than 500 employees INTEND to increase hiring activity in Q2.
What this means to you: Look at large companies in your area (or nationally, if you're open to relo) to satisfy your search needs. There don't seem to be any major needs in small to mid-size companies. Recruiters need to stay in touch with their large clients to ensure a strong recruiting climate for Q2. Good Hunting.
v.53.0 - March Madness will soon be upon us.
The Employment Market has heated up A LOT--new clients, established clients. The number of successful hires we've affected has been fairly low, compared with the numbers of searches performed. The competition for the super-desirable candidates in many industries has never been tougher.
From a recruiting perspective, most 'A' level candidates are happily employed. The under-educated and lower level manual labor force is still underperforming and keeping unemployment numbers artificially high, when compared with degreed professionals in the workplace. Practically ALL degreed professionals that want to find work find it. But, it's not always a walk in the park.
Our advice is to keep your resume current and on your ipad, so it's always accessible. Timing has much to do with successful job searching. Don't be left unprepared for a call from a headhunter. Good Hunting!
v.52.0 - Happy New Year!
Happy New Year! And, at B/E, we believe it's going to be a great employment year. Here are a few fast facts as our hiring managers begin meeting with various managers to figure out staffing, budgets, resources, etc.: 62% hiring managers indicated their businesses are in a better financial position in 2013, then a year ago. It was a deadlock between companies who experienced no change in sales patterns in the last half of 2012, 42% and companies who experienced a better 3rd and 4th Quarters (also 42%). An overwhelming majority of respondents indicated they didn't believe they would add to total head count this year, 55%. 40% of companies will utilize temporary or contract labor in 2013.
Here are the percentage breakdowns of what types of professionals these respondents will be hiring: Sales staff - 29%, IT staff - 27%, Customer Service - 23%, Engineering - 22%. Marketing - 14%. We do a lot of sales recruitment, so on a selfish level these numbers bode well.
Geographically, the Western states, 28% of hiring managers predicted adding full time permanent staff, up from 24% last year. The Southern states are at 27%, 24% for the Midwest and 23% for the Northeast.
For those Professionals seeking new employment this year, several trends are emerging, evolving and growing: The majority (74%) of today's candidates said they're ALWAYS looking and stay connected with job boards, recruiters and social media. The idea of a 'passive' candidate who is excellent at what he / she does and ISN'T looking, even casually, is so outmoded, passive candidates are all but obsolete. 79% of Millennials are actively seeking new jobs or are entirely open to new opportunities.
We're excited for the start of this employment year! A general note: I was just on the phone with a hiring manager and she completely was put off by a candidate's resume portion, because of poor grammatical usage, wrong punctuation and overall clunky sentence structure. Things we tend to overlook in this rapid-paced, texted in a hurry period of history. The old rules still apply! Proofread everything! It's of vital importance. Good Hunting.
v.51.0 - As we close the books on 2012...
As we close the books on 2012, let's end on an extremely high note, career-wise and employment trend-wise: In the few short weeks post-election, manufacturing positions have opened up faster than at any time in the past 2 years (in our office). Clients we haven't served in a couple of years have come back looking for key hires to start their recovery.
Coupled with an outstanding article on GE Appliance Division declaring outsourcing of their appliance business as 'outmoded' and yesterday's news. The new buzz for this business unit is 'insourcing'! Hidden costs of outsourcing, including quality / consistency issues, freight expenses and others have made it 'cost-ineffective' for producing these particular products overseas and shipping them here to sell. To read more, please follow this link: http://bit.ly/ViQ7h2
Large-scale, heavy industrial companies are the ones calling and they are looking for engineering, sales, operations people, to name just a few. Does this indicate a completely rosy future in the US? NOT! But, the growth of new manufacturing jobs, specifically being pulled back from overseas (insourced) is easily the most positive trend for our troubled manufacturing employment sector.
Drilling down to the individual reading this: Opportunity can NOW knock at any time. Keep your antennae up, your resume updated and your dance card at the ready. At least in this economy, we are seeing the break in the clouds we've been waiting for a number of years to inspire a sprinkling of new hope for both a troubled economic outlook and to bring back manufacturing in the US. Good Hunting and Happy Holidays from Beck/Eastwood! ho ho ho . . . .
©2012
v.50.0 - What a long, strange trip it's been!
Well, well, v.50.0 of the venerable column, What's the Buzz. . . . What a long, strange trip it's been! The economy has swung back and forth like a screen door in a tornado over the past years. I've written tons of wtb's with a candidate rich pool of prospective employees and times where there were a huge surplus of talented professionals who could NOT seem to find work.
The surprising thing about our time now, in an election year in fall, 2012, is that for all intents and purposes, most degreed Professionals engaged in 'need' professions are 90%+ employed and have to be actively recruited to make a change. The vast number of unemployed people are simply not skilled for the available professional jobs.
And, we still hear both political parties sparring over jobs lost to outsourcing and other countries 'TAKING' jobs in the US away from us by illegal immigrants. That's actually laughable in CA, where our large agricultural concerns COULD NOT exist without migrant fruit / vegetable pickers. The jobs being 'taken' by illegals are mainly jobs no educated American would take. We need new training systems for those who truly want to be productive. Some say technical for-profit education is the answer. Others fear those same institutions are money machines, short-changing students with sub-par education at high tuition rates and skeptical claims of employment, post-graduation. Count the tv ads on independent channels, if you don't believe me. There are more ads for tech schools, dental assistant, law enforcement, trade schools, even the Orange County Chopper company is name-dropped in a commercial.
'The times they are a' changin' and no one has cracked the code on just where the employment trends are going. Our advice. as we embark on v.50.0 forward is to stay light on your professional feet; continue learning and training on new developments / technologies / best practices in your fields, as hedges against further economic turmoil. Occasionally look at the job boards to see if your industry is trending. Good Hunting!
©2012
v.49.0 - Four types of Sales Professionals.
Four types of Sales Professionals in the 21st Century
There is a fascinating white paper out by Forrester Research on the changing nature of the sales force of B2B companies. They break the needs down to four types: The Expediter (Sells few products / low knowledge transfer); The Specialist (Few Products / more knowledge transfer); The Consolidator (More Products / low knowledge transfer); The Conductor (More Products, more knowledge transfer). Each needs different skill sets to be successful and no one sales person will be equally adept at all four types.
Forrester interviewed 200 C-level executives and used 466 survey responses as data. The consensus is, with the global economy as broken as it has been, B2B companies SG&A costs (sales, general and administrative) have gone up somewhat significantly while their sales are flat or down a bit. The net / net, the profits are going downward. More worrisome to the Forrester people, there doesn't appear to be a significant set of best practices that can track and train the different skill sets properly. They further assert that with the easy access to information, the only people truly needed in the marketplace are true value added, knowledgeable sales people in complex consultative sales situations. It's no longer a 'talking brochure' mentality, but more of a trusted partner and subject matter that buyers will buy from. Otherwise, the call center automated sale will completely take over.
They also assert that the current market for goods by large businesses is no longer a 'persuader' role, instead, it's of a knowledge provider. This is a fundamental shift in the perception of the sales function. For example, an Expediter role would need to develop very tight and targeted messaging skills and have rapid access to very specialized messages and all of the materials required to help that buyer make a fast decision. Conversely, in order to boost the productivity of a conductor driven sales model, one of the biggest challenges to overcome is managing a variety of complex and extremely expensive resources and making them available to the best opportunities.
Only when a B2B company defines which type of sales person they need, can they begin to put training in place that is effective and cost effective. However, they take pains to discuss several other improvements that need to be made to knock the cost of sales numbers down or the actual results up. Modern sourcing, purchasing and buying are undergoing a sea change, pushing the need for professional sales organization to meet the new needs of a changed marketplace. The moral of this story? Stay abreast of modern sales methodology, particularly in the complex, consultative arena.
Good Hunting.
v.48.0 - Midyear is upon us.
Hiring has resumed at a faster pace than anytime since late 2009. Recruitment activity is the 'canary in the coal mine' for the general economy, as we're usually the first companies brought in when companies are ramping up staff. That's a good thing. Our International recruiting network, NPA Worldwide reports that assignments are way up across most vertical markets and disciplines and that finding strong, motivated candidates is the principal shortage.
One of our members reports that unemployment data in the US is skewed, because the greatest percentage of unemployed people are non-degreed, unqualified for the highly skilled, engineering, management or executive level positions that ARE available. In short, a brain drain has left us at zero unemployment for qualified, degreed professionals! So, if you ARE a degreed, skilled and motivated professional, get active, as there are opportunities aplenty!
For Sales Hiring Managers: There was an excellent 5 minute training video out, explaining that the key to making great, lasting sales hires, is to measure drive in your hiring process. Drive is defined as: Need for achievement + Competitiveness (Need to be the best / elite) + unflagging optimism = Drive. How you measure those elements is left to us, the screeners, or to testing. But, I agree that those 3 elements particularly are important for highly leveraged commission sales jobs. How badly do YOU need to be number 1? How badly do YOU need to be known as #1 in stack ranking in your company? Can you let NOTHING major get you down in your sales days, weeks and months? Their studies show that only 20% of current sales people have that combination, meaning 80% DON'T. Scary. Good Hunting.
Good Hunting
©2012
WTB v.47.0 - What IS the buzz in 2012, so far?
Well, predictably, in an election year, there's more confidence by corporations to hire. Although the earlier months' results for new jobs were more encouraging than the most recent, confidence is fairly high that no one, Republican OR Democrat will do anything to cost US jobs. Which means, when a headhunter calls, take THAT CALL! It's also high time to update your resume, as there are a couple of great hiring months before vacations bog the process down. There's not much rhyme or reason to hiring trends at our firm (spanning 27 [gasp] years, EXCEPT that hiring slows to a snail's pace during vacation months. Kids out of school, warmer weather, unless you take ski vacations, most managers are out of the office somewhere between late May and September. BTW, a tight, concise resume is a must! I've never been reminded of this as often as this past year, when it seems no amount of detail is enough for our clients. They want to make quality hires.
Good Hunting
©2012
WTB v.46.0 - Mood is Optimistic
The economy in 2012 is definitely picking up for our Search Firm! We have long-term clients with needs, new clients with needs, affiliate partners with needs, now I need to meet people to fill ‘em!
Mood is optimistic, Economists predict with an Election Year, we should prosper in 2012. Let’s hope so. In any case, be prepared for opportunity to knock right now. Do your own due diligence to think about your career, your position at your current company, how it seems they’re doing by the attitudes at the office. Hey, you’l get a good idea where your career stands, and if you should be attentively listening when I call.
Be watchful, but be bold. Be cautiously optimistic when listening to an opportunity, not quick to shut it down due to old, pre-conceived notions. Be carefully positive when speaking about your current situation. But examine new opportunities.
Good Hunting
©2012
WTB v.45.0
A new era of talent hunting has begun. It’s happening not only at high-tech companies such as Facebook, but also at Army bases, ad agencies, investment banks, Hollywood studies, corporate boardrooms, college admissions offices, and even at nanny agencies. In all these fields, experts don’t just sort résumés. They pick people and build teams in a profoundly different way. Traditional measures of past achievement, such as test scores and academic degrees, are losing power, and companies are getting better at looking for those future superstars who deliver many times the value of someone who is merely good.
How long does it take a $150k+ salaried executive in transition to find a new career home at a suitable income in 2011? Jerry Labadia, Account Executive for ExecuNet career professional services provided this chart, based on their own Execs-in-transition database:
So, good hunting. If your executive situation is pulled from under you, prepare for a long ride to new employment!
©2012
WTB v.44.0
Buy A Car - The buzz is, we can all save the US economy buy buying a new car! I know it sounds dumb, but the contributing factor to the recession (the near bankruptcy of the Big 3) has transformed into one of the few double digit success / comeback stories of 2011. Both domestic and foreign companies are building new plants, hiring thousands of new and skilled workers and the new cars are once again rolling off assembly lines, with the important distinction that they're actually being purchased! So, let's all do our bit for the economy and roll on some new wheels!
Not so rosy for the rest of us. It's hard to tell in our current nightmare, er, economy, whether we're going up, down or sideways. Steve Jobs steps down from Apple, stock drops 20%. The most powerful company in the world, that dependent on one man? Not really, but perception can be a buzz kill. The named him Chairman of the Board, so his influence (read: juice) with public perception will overtake the initial shock. For God's sake, the man is ill! He's done enough. He's gotta focus on living, not a new Iproduct. No forecast for the coming year at all. If I were a betting man, I'd guess more of the same. Keep your resumes buffed. Good Hunting. ©2011
WTB v.43.0
June Gloom—that’s what we in So Cal call the marine layer coming in during the early summer and keeping us cool. The economy is suffering June Gloom of its own, based on poorer-than-hoped-for bounce backs in new job creation and rising oil prices. Of particular concern to those who follow our Government, is, that’s already reelection preening, so we know our President, Senate and House members’ collective mind is on one thing—getting reelected.
Healthcare be damned. Budgets be damned. It’s time to wring money out of PACS and build a war chest for the next 2 years. What’s wrong with this picture? It doesn’t include the citizens of the US. We deserve better than this.
So, what does a country involved in 3 or more wars and is fighting bankruptcy do to right itself outside of our elected officials? We can all work harder and make our lives better through our professional ethics, performance on our jobs and finding better jobs to fund educations for our children and to self-help the economy by buying American and by getting healthier through better choices.
Keep our heads up and capitalism will right the markets organically. These are times of uncertainty, but worrying over things we can’t control won’t improve the country, the economy or our lives. Controlling the elements we CAN control is key. Sanity can exist and rule the day, even when our government is teetering in party politics and finger pointing. Good Hunting. ©2011
WTB v.42.0
Hey, hey! Nationwide it's already bin quite the year (pun intended). Q2--The economy rebounded, unemployment is down somewhat, but a new trend is developing among companies in mature industries. There is a growing move to upgrade at managerial and executive levels. The competition for the top talent, continuous improvement people, lean manufacturing aces and Six Sigma Champions is hot. Engineering is hot. Sales is hot. Supply Chain is hot. In short, there is quite a bit of upgrading staff at high levels, so dust off your resume and keep your eye out for opportunities. A great tip is to search Indeed.com and SimplyHired.com for leads on opportunity in your field or geographically closer. It's a super way to keep abreast of opportunity because they aggregate the postings for jobs from all job boards, company sites, etc.
Join LinkedIn, if you're not already. It's rapidly becoming the business social networking tool of the second decade of the 21st Century. Good Hunting! ©2011
WTB v.41.0: Ring out the old.
Ring out the old and ring in the new! I don't know what you thought of 2010 in general, but it was our worst year since our second year in business. We are moving into our 26th year, so that says a lot. NOW, for the GREAT NEWS! 2011 is here and it is NOT the same as 2010. If ever there was a cause for hope AND change, it appears to have started in January. It's like a light switch that was off all last year and someone switched on in the first week of January. So, for Valentine's Day and moving forward, buff up that resume and take that headhunter call. It's liable to be a great opportunity. Good Hunting. ©2010
WTB v.40.0 2010 is coming to a screeching halt.
Apparently, 2010 is coming to a screeching halt. The 'bailout' leaked. Talent Acquisition Departments have sprung up in most large companies, ostensibly to negate the need for search firms. As we move into our second decade of the 21st Century, the economy has remained in the toilet. Obama's hope and change have left us hoping we even have some change in our pockets. The only place we see bailout money being spent are on those curious street projects that don't seem to need the center islands changed, but are being changed anyway.
Q4 appears to see a bit of ice breaking and hiring appears to be coming back, but if the past years are an indicator, I wouldn't be buying a bigger home or heavily investing based on confidence. Buffing up one's resume couldn't hurt, but no amount of due diligence will be enough to know if a company is a solid investment or not, career-wise. Internationally it doesn't look much better.
As an industry, recruitment is at a crossroads. The grand talent acquisition experiment is underway. If successful, our ranks will be thinned immensely. However, in the end, outsourced recruitment is still the only way to ensure seeing the best talent. In-house efforts are great for non-critical hires, but to receive the best of the best, call Beck/Eastwood. Good Hunting. ©2010
WTB v.39.0 Whew! Survived 2009!
Whew! Survived 2009! How about you? Beck/Eastwood celebrates our 25th Anniversary in the Executive Search Industry, and not a moment too soon! ’09 was the most brutal economy most of us have faced in our lives, certainly in the 21st Century.
How is 2010 going to be different? In several ways: First, there are many economic indicators pointing to an end to the recession, among them, median housing costs in CA are up; home sales are up (not just foreclosures); Nestle merging with Cadbury. In our own practice, we began the New Year with 2 hires within a week of each other.
All these indicators point to a new confidence for large companies to begin hiring and growing again. At all levels people are starting to polish their resumes, to be ready should Mr. Headhunter Man come a’callin’. VP and C level Executives are anticipating making strategic moves in the first quarter / half of ‘10.
What’s hot? Too early to tell. What’s not. The financial rebound hasn’t rebounded.
Stay on top of your industry and abreast of new opportunities.
Good Hunting ©2010
WTB v.38.0 Winning the Recession
All indicators point to the entire balance of 2009 being a struggle in nearly all sectors. So how does an organization continue to grow and improve at a time when revenues are down? The knee-jerk is to stop spending: Capital expenditures; hiring freezes; putting new systems in; implementing new processes; furthering training; implementing new marketing programs to stimulate business. But, is that really the way to pull through the Recession?
Let’s follow that theoretical path to a 2010 using the ‘put on the brakes’ approach to running a business: First, by freezing capital expenditures that would enhance productivity and could make an organization weather the storm easier by 2010, this company will actually be in a poorer condition to rebound. The best time to incorporate changes on a production line, implement process improvement initiatives, etc., is when orders are slow and your people can have time to learn the new systems and practices. Further, by pulling back on purchases, you further the Recession by forcing your vendors to lose sales in 2009, creating a snowball effect. Cutting back on Professional Services and staff may save cash in the short term, but the firms that you rely on in good times could possibly go out of business while you delay or freeze projects and programs you’d had planned.
In regard to staffing: Hiring freezes and layoffs make more work for your already overworked staff, enhance errors and waste, again becoming part of the burgeoning snowball of national unemployment, causing a longer Recession. Holding off on ‘Key Man’ hires, in particular, is simply the wrong choice. A quick SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis of any one role in the company can tell a Talent Acquisition team whether adding one person (even at the executive level) would actually save money, or raise sales volumes / margins to the point where it costs the company more NOT to make the hire.
To outsource the search to a search firm or not: Once again, in the overmatched HR arena, simply forcing your in-house Talent Acquisition people to add all recruiting at all levels, the inefficiencies may outweigh the cost-per-hire of this same individual. A better solution might be, to hire a specialist search firm to find the best talent, pay the fee and to amortize that cost line item over the lifetime value of the hire, rather than seeing it only as an expense. Investing in your primary assets—your people, is never costing a company. It’s time to re-evaluate your goals, your needs, your market and your strategy for winning the Recession and being in the best possible position to profit from the inevitable recovery. Good Hunting ©2009
WTB v.37.0
Kick Starting the Recovery in ‘09
Here’s a novel idea—Instead of feeding off all the bad economic news, let’s all do our part to proactively plan for the Recovery in 2009. The easiest change all companies can do to implement positive change is to spread GOOD NEWS.
Good news may travel fast, but often it’s swallowed up by all the bad news surrounding it. Traditional news media sell on fear, so it’s only natural that bad news outstrips the good in any medium. It’s up to companies from the top down to spread any good news, send press releases touting process improvements or small spikes in sales. It’s uplifting for employees, families of employees and to vendors, customers all, to start seeing whatever light is at the end of the tunnel.
Economic cycles are called cycles for a simple reason. There are low ebbs followed by highs. So, individually and as organizations, trumpet your successes; air your little wins; tout upticks with your product lines or service levels. Just as news of market collapses become self fulfilling, so can news of the evidence that we’re beginning to rebound.
As financial assistance actually hits the streets, insiders among our clients predict they’ll start doing more business in the late second and third quarters. Let’s plan for that and give kudos at each bit of positive news breaks. Good Hunting!
WTB v.36.0
Because, your people ARE your company! With financial and economic conditions in a critical place, common sense would dictate that companies would start laying off, across the board—and certainly thousands of employees HAVE been. But, as a company, it’s wise to view your human capital as an invaluable asset, not as an operating expense.
What is a company? A logo or trademark? A product set? A brand? Certainly, all of these elements help to define a company. But, even the word ‘company’ is a group of individuals. In this case, not purely for visiting, but like-minded individuals, coming together for a purpose—developing profitable goods and services, whether sold to business (B2B) or to the consumer.
So? Where’s the story? What’s the buzz? The 411 is this: Now is the perfect time to ‘right-size’ or to re-engineer your current talent roster, to better weather the economic stresses inherent in running a profitable business. Perhaps you need to question the preconceptions you carry as a Manager and take a fresh look at your roster, much as professional sports organizations do. Do more with less; bring in lean production staff; cut overtime and temporary needs down through innovation and fresh thinking.
The ‘idea’ re-organization. Renovate; innovate; brainstorm; recalibrate. Solicit input from your people. It’s remarkable how encouraging it is to your employees to have some of their suggestions for improvement and curtailing waste implemented. And, the most beautiful part is, ideas are free! They don’t cost a penny, but can save untold millions to the general economy.
Economy. When we hear that word, it has a bad connotation. But, think of economy in it’s other context, economy of scale; economy of motion; economy of budget. Again, by letting go of all possible preconceptions, it’s possible to implement incremental changes that take advantage of economy without laying off employees.
Reward innovation. Not only should the professional Manager solicit input from his talent, innovation should be both trumpeted (recognition) and rewarded (bonus). This doesn’t cost much and the result will be a larger investment of mindshare from your whole team.
Show no fear. Media is a 24/7 proposition that feeds on selling fear. Fear of bad weather, airport closures, economic slowdowns. Don’t buy it. There’s no choice but to endure and thrive. That means circle your wagons and get the right people in a place they can do something about it and use this economic climate to build revenue streams while streamlining. Economize all processes involved in your company. Cut down wasted supplies, paper products, endless junk faxes, etc. Utilize space properly and right size your physical layout, as well. There’s always something that can be improved.
That’s the buzz! Good Hunting.