Choosing your next employer
I recently spoke to a group of about 90 people looking for work and anxious to network with others who might be able to lend a hand. I asked them the same question I ask others: If you had your choice would you choose employer who had a reputation for laying people off or one that was known for just the opposite kinds of behaviors? It does not take an audience long to weigh in on the side of no lay-offs. Those who have experienced being downsized are understandably anxious to avoid that experience again; and the best way to avoid it is to go to work for an employer for whom “lay-off” is a dirty word.
Not so fast. Not only is that not necessarily the right answer, just the opposite may be true. Consider the matter from the prospective of the company for a moment. Today, the competitive landscape is more intense than ever largely because of advances in technology and globalization. Technology makes it possible for work to move with relative ease to its most economically rational location. In this way, companies take advantage of lower-cost modes of production and pass the savings through to customers. This is not done out of the goodness of their hearts. It’s done because doing so creates an advantage in the marketplace.
Further, while technology may make it possible for jobs to relocate to their most economical locations, it is globalization that makes it imperative. When outsourcing becomes an industry best practice within a given industry sector, others are obliged to participate or risk shifting the advantage to those that play the outsourcing game.
The sword of course is double-edged: Remaining profitable and competitive by allowing companies to chase low cost modes of production may also mean allowing some measure of job instability and personal income insecurity. So what kind of company do you want to work for: One that chases efficiency or one that hangs onto more expensive employees when more effective avenues are available?
In reality, our employment choices are seldom presently as starkly as the example used here. Most of us would opt to work for companies that seek to maintain its competitive advantage while at the same time has employee friendly policies that minimize the job insecurity characteristic of today’s work place. There are times, however when both objectives cannot be maximized. Still, most of us would probably opt to work for employers for whom lay-off is a dirty word but we should be careful to add as long as they are smart enough to stay competitive and remain in business.