http://www.zdnet.com/pcweek/stories/columns/0,4351,392451,00.html


Corner Office
I've looked at life from both sides now
By Brian D. Jaffe
March 8, 1999 9:00 AM ET


About a year ago, I said here that the touted IT labor shortage was an
illusion. That's what my experience as a hiring manager told me--I was on
the receiving end of an endless stream of cold calls from headhunters with
bodies to place.


Late last year, however, I was laid off. Now, I've seen the job market from
the other side of the résumé. And my conclusion is the same.


I still think there's plenty of IT labor out there. But there is a certain
kind of labor shortage. It's not about the size of the IT labor pie, though.
Instead, it's a reflection of the fact that there are so many ways to slice
that pie, that hiring managers may only be left with a crumb after they
carve out their needs.


For example, a database administrator is not simply a DBA. There are
different database products--Oracle and Informix, for example. Each has
several versions in widespread use and different versions of those offerings
for different technology platforms and operating systems. If you prefer a
DBA who has experience with other key technologies in your environment, your
options are further reduced.


Perhaps you want specific project experience, say, building a data
warehouse. Throw in other parameters such as environment size, industry,
years of experience, communication or supervisory skills, certification, and
salary range, and the grains of sand quickly slip through your fingers.


The complexities of IT, combined with reasonable search parameters, limit
who can be hired. But since hiring managers get no sympathy for taking the
time to find the right person, blame must be placed somewhere. The "labor
shortage" is a ready scapegoat.


I was told by a headhunter of an insurance company that is looking for a
project manager who knows Microsoft Project. Now, it would be difficult to
find a reasonably experienced project manager who wasn't familiar with
Project. Yet the recruiter told me that résumés had to list Project to be
considered. Is there a project manager who couldn't learn the fundamentals
of Project by spending a few hours with it before the interview? Would
candidates be questioned on their project or Project experience? Perhaps the
employer can't distinguish between the two.


Then there is the systems integration company that requires candidates to
sign a two-and-a-half-page contract before interviewing with anyone outside
of human resources. Curious, I thought, especially after I read the terms of
the contract. I'd think twice before using this company for my projects,
since I'd question the judgment of those who agreed to their terms.


Meanwhile, recruiters complain that résumés and inquiries overwhelm them
after they run an ad. Candidates complain that recruiters often don't return
their calls. According to news sources, 1998 was a record year for corporate
layoffs--yet the economy is quite healthy.


Maybe the perception of a labor shortage is just the employers' fear that if
everyone is changing partners so quickly, they won't have anyone to dance
with.


I'm still trying to figure out why a well-known entertainment giant seemed
unable to fill a help desk manager's position that offered a salary in the
low six figures. Go figure. But labor shortage? Nah.


Do you agree that the labor shortage is just one of life's illusions? Brian
D. Jaffe is an IT director in New York. He can be contacted at
bdjaffe@compuserve.com.