Reprinted with permission of Evergreen Newspapers

Show me the Jobs?

 When times are good and revenue is rising, employers are willing to add jobs. But whenever there is a dip in the economy, and growth is not there, the first way employers are able to cut variable expense is with job cuts. This time the economy is really bad and the cuts just seem to keep on coming. It’s clear that unemployment will top 10% for the first time since 1982. 

 Manufacturing jobs seem to have all but disappeared for good, and you might ask, “Will we ever start adding new jobs other than as fast food workers or Wall Mart greeters? 

 The truth is that this recession is tougher than most and employers will not be adding jobs until they see their revenues showing a strong pattern of growth.  Responsible businesspeople don’t like to implement layoffs any better than we like being on the receiving end, so they should be very slow to do anything which causes a repeat of the painful and expensive process of payroll cutbacks.

 New jobs will be created and although the timing is unclear, the need will insure that they will be added. Here’s how.

 This recession has really caused business leaders to take a long look at their enterprise. This has not been a normal business downturn. It has caused failure in businesses thought to be able to weather most recessions. Businesses have had to ponder how they will provide long term success with more scrutiny than normal. This introspection will uncover opportunities for long term improvement, and this process will cause individuals with special skills to be hired.

 Let me give a few examples. Let’s say that a company determines that their best opportunity for growth will be served by a better internet presence. They will find and hire someone who knows how to deliver that improvement for them. Let’s say that another company determines that they need strategically to bolster their service.   They will hire an experienced customer service manager and the resources to make the improvement.

 So the future jobs will be jobs that today don’t even exist, but are needed to strengthen the enterprise’s ability to get and retain customers. Look for employers to add some new staff, but they will do so only when they are convinced that the new person brings knowledge and proven expertise to help the company be more effective. A payback will be required and will likely be carefully measured.    

 The bottom line is that if you can’t demonstrate that you can help a potential new employer be better and more profitable, you aren’t going to get hired.   So here’s the headline. “If you add strategic value, you should be able to find a great new job.”  Employers have many choices, so if you want to be the one hired, you’ll have to bring some special promise.  “Ask not what the company can do for you; ask what you can do for the company.”