A New Reality in Managing the World of Work

A New Reality in Managing the World of Work

In the last couple of days I have had a couple of individuals in job search reach out to me about how to handle what for them are awkward situations in the job search process. The contacts made me stop to pause and realize there are still a lot of individuals who are part of the workforce that were brought up in a mindset where loyalty was valued by employers. (Both individuals who reached out were long time employees at the companies from which they were let go) And, while it may seem unusual to some that there are those who hold onto that concept of loyalty, it is not so much for me, who worked for 30 years at the same company before moving on myself.

When I began my coaching studies, and in particular focused on the world of job search, one tenet that was ingrained in me was that smart job searchers approach their job search as would “a consultant.” This principle was built on the following thought process. Companies hire individuals who can help solve their problems. A good consultant asks as many questions as they are asked about the services and skills they provide. The consultant listens to what the hiring person has as problems. Often these items are not always present on a job specification or hiring document. It allows the consultant the opportunity to listen for chances to explain how their product/service/talents, are just the ones that the person looking to hire someone needs, to make their life easier.

Those who have worked for a long time for one company are brought up in the systems and methods of that single company. Perhaps their performance reviews will carry them from promotion to promotion or even cross departmental opportunities. They’re often not used to having to “sell themselves” to another looking for someone to fill a need. Additionally, they may grow comfortable or even complacent in the role they are doing, whether they like the role or not. Better to be safe with the job of the moment, than venture out into the unknown.

Even when I was working in a corporate role, the world of work began to change. Companies began to shed staff when they felt certain functions were no longer needed. As time went on, one business would merge with another company. Or other companies would go out of business, when a new provider of a service provided it quicker, cheaper or more in a form that the market preferred. Those were the early signals that each individual really is responsible for their own career, and were actually their own “consulting company,” whether that was formulated in an official business or not. Yes, you looked to do the best job you could for whomever your client may be. But, your loyalty now belonged to you, because you needed to make the decisions that were best for you and your career at any given moment.

Whether you remain a long time employee of a company, work contract arrangements that may last for a matter of months until the contract ends, set up your own business, or some combination of all of these, the key thing to remember is this is the reality of the world of work today, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future. You may not like that reality. It may require you to learn strategies for putting yourself in the best light when you do look to present yourself to a hiring company, or consider looking for another job position. And, it will likely never feel completely comfortable. However, stop feeling guilty about looking out for yourself as you navigate the world of work. If when interviewing you are asked by a hiring manager, how do I know you will not leave after a short time for a better opportunity, be prepared to answer confidently that you don’t know what the future will bring, but that for now you want to learn how you may best be a fit for their opportunity. Above all, realize that no one person changed the model that is now the world of work, and that no one person/company/industry is going to completely change it to something else on their own. It frankly is something that evolved over time.