Looking to the
Future
Today, it’s news about massive layoffs—but
what will tomorrow hold in store? Of course, everyone
would appreciate a reprieve from the relentless news of
a slowing economy and unstable times, but according to
government predictions, we better watch what we wish
for. While it may still be a good amount of time away,
according to The New York Times, current
projections demonstrate that by the year 2008 the gap
between the number of jobs available and the shortage
of workers to fill them could grow to 6 million. The
peak time of the shortage is expected to truly hit home
between the year 2015 and 2025, when as many as 60
million workers will reach retirement!
According to the Times,
occupations that typically employ older Americans will
be hit the hardest, listing among them construction,
inspection, and secondary school teachers. So what will
happen in the coming years as the number of qualified
workers continues to diminish?
For workers, many may find opportunity
in the fields that have been left short-staffed. The
news may not be too hopeful if there is no one there to
take advantage of these opportunities. According to the
article, if workers can’t be found many companies
may be forced to move production
overseas.
Thanks
Anyway
Although they may mean well, many companies’
efforts to ease laid-off employees’ difficulties
while searching for alternative employment is going
unappreciated. While it is a popular technique,
bringing in career coaches and outplacement firms
appears not to be worth the trouble—especially in
the dot-com industry.
In an article posted recently on HRNext.com, a San Francisco
newspaper reported that a recent survey found nearly
half of respondents found these services to be
“not helpful at all.” The article goes on
to report that, “44 percent said that
resumé writing assistance did not help them at
all.” On the same note, 56 percent felt the
stress counseling failed as well.
In defense of her service, Sharon Gadberry,
managing partner of TMG/Power Marketing, a San
Francisco outplacement firm, notes, “A lot of
these dot-commers are so used to working on a computer,
they feel like they shouldn’t have to go to a
counselor...There’s a feeling that, ‘I can
write my resumé, for crying out
loud.’
“They don’t understand how many stupid
mistakes an intelligent person can make in an
interview.” One overwhelming problem stems from
the difference between today’s economy and
yesterday’s,“ Many people in this
generation, got jobs so easily, they can’t
imagine that the job search is that complicated,”
Gadberry adds.
Sadly, often by the time laid-off employees
realize the help may be beneficial, it’s too late
and the window to take advantage of the counseling has
closed.
