Month: August 2016

Last week I drove to Birmingham for lunch. This visit was long overdue. One of my best clients has a restaurant in Birmingham, so it was finally time to check it out. The trip from Johns Creek, GA took about three hours, having left after rush-hour. I arrived 11:45 a.m. Birmingham time. Even then the restaurant was busy, with more guests following me. I took a seat at the bar and was greeted by Teresa. She offered me a warm welcome and asked if I had been there before. I told her that I had not, but had long planned to do so. Teresa promptly explained that the restaurant made all of their items from scratch. She went on to say that they specialize in small-plate portions served as they come off the line. She described their special of the day, a pulled-pork, barbecue sandwich piled high on a bagel. It sounded luscious, but I was in the mood for something else, Grilled Red Fish Tacos with a side order of black beans and rice. She took my order and left to pour a 12oz Yuengling lager from the tap.

It was very helpful to observe the operation, to better understand their service model. I had a great view of the entire process, including the kitchen. I could easily interact with the server/bartender. It was evident that the employees enjoyed their work. The service was quick, the food was excellent, and the staff was very friendly. The managers were actively engaged in serving the customers, without being obtrusive. Teresa even presented me with her business card, something I’ve never seen before. The back of the card featured a promotional message that listed upcoming specials. During my meal, I overheard Teresa tell another customer about helping open their new restaurant in Charlotte. She talked about that trip with great pride and enthusiasm as if she were the company’s chief evangelist.  I learned a lot from that visit. I came away with a much clearer sense of the culture my client was cultivating. This knowledge will help me as I take on new assignments for them.

The next day I was working with another client, prepping them to interview a potential new hire. I drafted an interview guide to help them learn everything they needed from the candidate. As the issue of cultural fit is important to this client, I crafted some relevant questions.  I made sure that I provided a good selection of open-ended questions designed to get to the heart of the candidate’s capabilities, management style, and ideal work environment.

I have learned that the most difficult part of any hiring decision is to assess the candidate’s fit with the organization’s culture. A good cultural fit is a major determinant of the applicant’s likelihood of success in any position. Probing this issue may be the most useful line of questioning in any interview. It is often the least well understood.

To make an appropriate assessment as to any job applicants cultural fit, the employer must first understand their company’s values and the attributes of their culture. For many businesses, especially smaller entrepreneurial firms this is a neglected matter. Although the company may tell you what’s important to them as a brand and attributes they value, often they don’t have processes in place to manage their culture. As a result, their ability to compare a job seeker to their corporate values becomes problematic. For employers looking to hire people that fit the culture, begin by understanding your values and manage them proactively. For job seekers, be sure to validate that your needs and values align with the target company’s culture.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal
New Century Dynamics Executive Search

Current Assignments

1. GM, Private Club based in Southeast,  Confidential Search:  New
2. Director of Business Development, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: New
3. Training Director – Southeastern-based Restaurant Group:  New
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer.  New
5. Controller – Orlando, FL-based Restaurant Company:  New

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal
New Century Dynamics Executive Search

Current Assignments

1. GM, Private Club based in Southeast,  Confidential Search:  New
2. Director of Business Development, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: New
3. Training Director – Southeastern-based Restaurant Group:  New
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer.  New
5. Controller – Orlando, FL-based Restaurant Company:  New

As mentioned in my previous post, I am preparing for a September presentation to our local BENG Chapter.  My audience is composed of Senior Executives in  transition and career development professionals.   These folks are savvy professionals who understand business strategy.  My objective is to help them understand the playing field in “The New Normal” to become better prepared to evaluate their options.  I expect to learn from them as well.  The title for my presentation/discussion is “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome.”  I have it on good authority that this is a motivational phrase used by the Marines.  You may recall Clint Eastwood’s character in the movie “Heartbreak Ridge,” Gunnery Sergeant Highway, used this phrase often while training his Recon Marines.  This title seems appropriate. 

At sea level, it seems easy to understand “The New Normal.”  We are in a period of slow growth, and historically low workforce participation.  The current administration has focused on adding new regulations to business, a disincentive to growth and employment.  Notwithstanding the officially reported unemployment rate of 4.9%, recent College graduates, saddled with heavy debt cannot find jobs.  Many employees are working multiple, minimum wage jobs to make ends meet.  Productivity, the engine for wage increases, has been low to nil.  Globalism has moved manufacturing facilities to lower-cost, developing countries.  The good news is that inflation isn’t much of an issue, and the cost of petroleum products is very low.

If one looks at the environment from a broader perspective, the effects of the Digital Revolution become more evident.  The Digital Age is about increased automation (productivity) and connectivity (communication).  This powerful combination should lead to continued innovation and social change.  We are becoming more connected via the internet.  Systems and applications are helping companies become more productive, requiring fewer employees.  Many occupations are fading away.   The ranks of the long-term unemployed may be growing into a permanent underclass.    Job tenures are shrinking to the point that soon, the average will be close to two years.  By 2020, it is predicted that 25% of workers will be 1099 employees.    

The Bank of England recently presented a report predicting the occupations likely to be impacted by automation.  Sectors they forecast to be most impacted are skilled trades; caring, leisure, and other services; sales and customer service; process, plant, and machine operatives; Associate professionals and technical; administrative and secretarial.   Occupational categories less likely to affected by automation are professionals, managerial, directors, and senior executives.  Also, occupations that require a lot of creativity and human interaction, like interior design and decorating may be more difficult to automate. 

The outlook I just presented seems bleak, however, it is not all bad news.  Just take a look at CNBC’s Disrupter 50.  A lot of innovation is occurring in the fields of  Bio-Technology/Food Technology; Space Travel; Transportation/Logistics; Intelligence/Marketing Research; Financial Services; Cyber Intelligence/Warfare; and Telecom.  This information points to opportunities for managing your career.

So, what does this mean for employment?   Occupations requiring a high degree of an interpersonal transaction will still be in demand.  Their tools and support will become more automated, so they will need less staff to support their services.  Senior Executives, Planners, and highly creative personnel will likely be in demand, but here again, they will have more tools and less need for support staff.  The trend to flatter organizations will continue, reducing the opportunity for middle management.  The ranks of 1099 employment base will swell requiring government intervention to support these folks.  The demand for professionals with STEM backgrounds will continue to facilitate innovation.    We are moving rapidly into an “ad hoc” employment paradigm.  We must adapt to the Freelance Economy.

So what of my fellow Boomers?  Throughout our careers, we have learned to improvise, adapt, and overcome.   We have the skill set to adapt, but I wonder if we have the mindset.

Improvise, Adapt, Overcome!

I’m a business analyst by training. I spent the early days of my career in corporate finance and then as a strategic analyst. I found that I had a passion for strategy and planning.  I enjoyed getting to know a company’s business model and its competitive strategy.   I wanted to understand how a business fit within its industry segment and the economy as a whole.  It wasn’t long before I migrated into general management where I enjoyed twenty-two years of steady progress.   I developed a strong portfolio of skills supported by a broad base of experience.   While building my corporate career I became caught up in mergers and acquisitions, leveraged buyouts, re-engineering, rightsizing and downsizing, and Chapter 11 reorganizations.   I saw most of our major industries move overseas, while the service sector steadily grew and technology became a dominant player.  I knew that major forces were in play, transforming the economy.   I moved from Tampa to Toledo, then Denver, Dallas, Kansas City, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and finally, in 1996, to Atlanta.   The moves were getting tiresome, and my daughters were entering High School.   Whatever free time I had, the company demanded it.  The only friends I had were other employees.  I did not have the life I wanted for my family.   A career in Corporate America had become too volatile for me.   I realized that my future was better spent elsewhere.

It was time to go out and become my own boss.   That is how I found my way into executive search.  The skills I learned in my corporate career have served me well as a recruiter and consultant.  I never lost my passion for strategy, however.   I still want to understand my client’s business model so that I can be more helpful to them.   It hasn’t been easy, but it has been exciting.  I have learned many new skills, like business development.  I have refined other skills, like negotiating.  My communication ability has improved significantly, especially my ability to listen.   I started blogging regularly over five years ago.  I thought that was a good strategy to reach more candidates and clients.  This skill has been developed and is becoming more refined.   I have learned how to weather business downturns and to recognize opportunities.  I have learned that the customer is always right, but not all customers are right for me, and I am not right for every customer.  Most importantly, I have learned that the market will tell you where you are needed if you pay attention to the signals.   I have learned to improvise, adapt, and overcome!   I have become a big supporter of entrepreneurial pursuits.

Over time, I have come to know many professionals.   As one would expect, most of these folks were between jobs, looking for a new situation.   I tried to provide guidance and counsel as to how they should conduct their job search.  The landscape has changed dramatically over the past seventeen years and with those changes, my advice has changed.   Today, I tell them to consider multiple options like starting a business or becoming an independent contractor.   After all, finding work of any kind is about networking and selling oneself.

Currently, I am putting the finishing touches on a presentation I will make next month.  It is more of a set-up to facilitate a group discussion about the “New Normal.”    The title of the presentation is “Improvise, Adapt, Overcome!”   More about that in my next post.

Thank you for visiting my blog.  I hope you enjoyed my point of view and would like to receive regular posts directly to your email inbox. Toward this end, put your contact information on my mailing list.

Your feedback helps me continue to publish articles that you want to read. Your input is important to me so; please leave a comment.

Jim Weber, President
Author of: Fighting Alligators: Job Search Strategy For The New Normal
New Century Dynamics Executive Search

Current Assignments

1. GM, Private Club based in Southeast,  Confidential Search:  New
2. Director of Business Development, Atlanta-based B2B Professional Services Company: New
3. Training Director – Southeastern-based Restaurant Group:  New
4. Senior Accounting Manager – Atlanta-based Manufacturer.  New
5. Controller – Orlando, FL-based Restaurant Company:  New

For more information, contact Jim Weber:  JimWeber@NewCenturyDynamics.com