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Job Security is Dead: Employees Today Look to Make an Impact Fast

BY: MICHAEL STERN January 17, 2007


When it comes to “hot jobs,” popular culture tries to sell us the notion that everyone dreams of being a pop star, fighter pilot or crime scene investigator. But most business people have dreams of a different sort.

Their goal: to join a company that is strong, independent and growing - where they’ll be able to take charge of important projects and make significant contributions in an environment that’s fun, challenging and lucrative. What they do is often less important that who they will work for – and how much control they think they’ll have in their new position.

It’s interesting how ambitions have changed in the 25-odd years since I first became an executive search consultant. At one point security was a big issue – the need for a job that would last a lifetime. Now most managers and executives realize that job security is as dead as Eaton’s and sliderules. They’re putting a premium on opportunities that will give them a chance to make an impact fast – and share in the upside if they're successful.

Sadly, not many workplaces offer the golden opportunities – or the control – these people are looking for. In fact, with the foreign takeovers of many well-known Canadian companies, and the cookie-cutter centralization that many foreign head-offices impose on their branch offices, such opportunities seem to be becoming scarcer.

But that doesn't stop confident, experienced executives from pursuing their dreams. It just means they need to cast their net wider in their search for the perfect job.

In most cases, the first choice is to work for a respected, successful, growing company. Research in Motion, inventor of the ultra-cool Blackberry, has no problem attracting great candidates. Neither do “iconic” market leaders such as Tim Hortons or Starbucks.

In many big businesses, executive candidates express concern about feeling stifled, or not being rewarded for their performance. As a result, many of them are showing new interest in smaller, newer businesses, innovative companies that are seen to be aggressive and less bureaucratic.

The growing appetite for challenge and new initiatives is also leading many people to consider not-for-profits and charitable foundations. These days, such organizations offer challenges galore, they’re ripe for innovative approaches, and they provide a satisfying feeling of “giving back.”

Candidates are especially pleased to learn they don't always have to make a financial sacrifice to work in the non-profit sphere. Certain large not-for-profits are willing to pay north of $300,000 for the right leader. And salaries of $150,000+, once the exception even for CEOs of charitable foundations, are now the norm.

The chartered banks, as always, continue to attract top people. While it’s harder for individuals to make a personal impact at the banks, their sheer size and national clout make up of it. They give big-thinking executives a chance to work on major projects that are ambitious, complex and well-funded.

The banks are also among a small group of “hot” employers that are seen as being big-but-flexible -- which means they are perfect for executives who require flex-time for dealing with family obligations (which often now means caring for aging parents as well as young children), or just feel a need for better work-life balance. Many candidates are keen to work for companies that can be creative in allowing people to choose their own hours, job-share, or work from home – in other words, companies that understand that managers can be have busy personal lives and still be dedicated employees.

At the other end of the scale, a lot of promising executives are also looking at exciting new positions they call “Me, Incorporated.” On the executive coaching side of our business, I have met a number of executives recently who are eager to “do their own thing.” They want to test their business mettle by running their own businesses – often selling their services (at a premium!) back to the company that used to employ them.

If you're looking to move up to a “hot job” with a more attractive organization, remember that you’ll be facing a lot of competition. Take it from a long-time headhunter – if you want to get in, you have to stand out from the crowd.

Despite the general “talent shortage,” many of these organizations still have long lines of potential recruits eager to join them. To stand out, dust off your personal marketing skills. Use your network to find out who you know who knows someone inside the companies where you want to work. Build relationships with these people to find out about upcoming career opportunities, how these organizations hire new people, and what qualities they look for in successful candidates.

Use your new best friend to recommend you for an upcoming position, or just to champion you “on spec,” so the company will already know who you are when appropriate positions come open.

Bottom line: To snag the better career opportunities in 2007, you’ll have to be more “out there”, more gutsy and more diligent. Even if your ideal job isn’t pop star, fighter pilot or crime scene investigator.