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Talent Management Perspectives

Published January 2009

Communication, Management Skills Go Far in Current Economy

  Dan Cobb

It's no secret job placements for permanent hires typically dry up in a down economy, while those for contingent workers rise. This time around, however, the job market is following a slightly different pattern. The strong drop in permanent hires that has historically marked the start of an economic downturn was not seen until after the economy had already started to plummet. Contract positions, however, have remained strong amidst the turmoil, outweighing permanent hires by approximately 2-to-1.

The uncommon pattern the job market has taken is an indicator of great uncertainty for employers. Unsure of the path the economy may take, many companies are torn between freezing hiring to save cash or tapping into the pool of highl skilled talent that is growing as a result of recent layoffs.

When it comes to the latter, employers are focusing their limited hiring ability on securing employees with high-tech skills and management experience. For example, there's substantial opportunity for full-time and contract positions in the IT and telecom industries.

Despite the massive cutbacks that some industries, such as automotive and aerospace, have experienced, demand still persists for some key skill sets. This means there are some opportunities available for job seekers, and companies know now, more than ever, what skill sets and character traits they're looking for to help them get through this tumultous time.

Where the Opportunities Are
Job cuts may be at their highest level since 2002, but today's employment landscape is not altogether bleak. Despite the lackluster economy, other business and demographic trends are at work, increasing the demand for new talent with the right resume.

The IT industry is one area seeing an upswing in new hires. Traditional developers with .Net and Java skills, as well as IT project managers and ERP programmers, are particularly in demand.

But surprisingly, companies are looking for more than just top-notch skill sets, such as SAP or CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert). Although these skills are a plus, companies are increasingly seeking IT professionals fluent in the basics, including business acumen and leadership abilities, with exceptional competency in one or multiple areas. The key is versatility: having the ability to bolster company productivity in more ways than one.

Employers prefer candidates with a range of experiences and skill sets over specialists with only one or two limited or hard-to-find skills. One reason for this is salary demands of multiskilled candidates often are lower than those requested by specialists with top certifications.

The movement toward an open-source model also is driving the demand for IT candidates. Since it first debuted in the '90s, open source has continued to grow as a way for programmers to collaborate over the Internet to write software and source code visible to everyone. The resulting software is free, with no acquisition and licensing fees, helping companies cut costs.

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