After 25 years in the recruiting business, I’ve realized that some of the same commodity cattle car approaches that existed when I began are still with us. Sure, the technology has changed and now that belittlement is perhaps even more remote through digitization, but the concept is the same. The idea of you as Talent who will provide expertise in solving problems to create enormous value (meaning revenue and profits) for a firm, is replaced with you as a metadata cost/ benefit center somewhere in the entity called The Company. And given the variety of ways the relationship is compensated for, you might be anything from a staff member to a temporary contractor. The human respect quotient seems not to matter.
Recruiters and contract services firms are traditionally paid for by the client. Fees for placement, and hourly billing revenues place the focus and devotion on The Company. The candidate/ contract employee (the talent), is simply bridled and expected to come along on the end of the rope. Is that right?
Once upon a time such was the case for people in the performing arts. Given the volume of talent, it wasn’t necessary for the Company to kowtow to any individual, and getting another actor/ singer/ dancer/ was just as easy as saying Next. But along the way in many of those performing arts, something changed. People who were really good weren’t always good at handling the business end of their performing duties and as such Agents came about. Agents not only demanded adequate pay, but adequate attention and appreciation. Now I’m sure in those days, and probably if you asked, even to this day, talent agents are not appreciated by those hiring the talent. But as we have seen with the entertainment industry good talent deserves to be appropriately treated in order to perform at its best. I suggest that good talent in the process control and automation world needs to be better regarded.
What would happen if you as the Talent had someone representing your employment and compensation? What if instead of having no real authority in the discussion of your role or the value you bring to The Company, you had someone who focused on getting you appropriate regard within the context of what you contributed to the organization? Not as a part of a collective group or union whose weakest link you’re reputation is tarred with, but as an individual, no less so than an actor, or other performance artist. What if you had an agent who stood by you to not only make sure you were getting a fair deal, but continued as a career advocate through your employment years?
I’m curious whether the remoteness and demeaning aspects of our current technical approach to engagement might just change.
What do you think?