Even as employees were eliminated en masse during the throes of the recession, the demand for project management talent largely survived as companies placed a premium on efficiency. Battled-scarred veterans who had been through an economic downturn or two (and know they aren't the end of the world) became an especially valued commodity.
The whiz kids may get most of the attention—and typically come a lot cheaper—but companies were seeing that there was something to be said for bringing in seasoned veterans. Not only do they offer years of know-how, they can teach those young upstarts a thing or two.
Experienced project management practitioners aren't necessarily eager to jump into a new job, though.
The instability of the job market and a sputtering economy have left them somewhat risk-averse, says John Thorpe, managing director of Arras People, a program and project management recruitment firm in Heywood, Lancashire, England.
“Individuals with a great deal of project management expertise are typically more reluctant to leave their current jobs,” says Steven Helmholz, director of recruiting at CDI IT Solutions, an outsourcing and recruiting provider in Phoenix, Arizona, USA. “They must see a compelling value proposition.”
Inside Jobs
Recruiting isn't the only way to find the right senior project talent. One of the most effective methods for building a sustainable framework of knowledge and expertise is to develop it in-house.
Larger companies in particular may decide to conduct internal searches and reassign talent, says Charles H. Leichner III, Highlands Ranch, Colorado, USA-based executive vice president at Arcadis, a Dutch engineering and project management company.
Companies must learn to track knowledge and skills though 360-degree appraisals and feedback, and then fill the gaps with targeted training.
“It is important to think strategically in everything we do,” he says. Arcadis, for example, has developed cross-training and employee-exchange programs to help build expertise and address shifting requirements.
Employees should also have the opportunity to take on different roles, responsibilities and assignments.
Because experienced project management practitioners are typically in a better position to call the shots, it's up to companies to create and market the kind of environments that appeal to more seasoned candidates, Mr. Helmholz says.
There is a silver lining, though.
“Money usually isn't the prime motivator,” Mr. Thorpe says. “These people are already paid well and they know they have plenty of options. If they are unhappy, they are likely to be out in the marketplace and looking for something new.”
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT
Prying experts away from another employer requires a focused effort that plays to the candidates’ preferences, says Daniela M. Tessler, partner at Table Partners, a recruitment firm in São Paulo, Brazil.
“Motivated project management professionals normally desire career advancement and new challenges, a great group of people to work with and a certain amount of work-life balance,” she explains.
And they're looking for that expertise to extend from top to bottom.
“Skilled people like to work with other highly skilled people and have confidence in the leadership team,” Ms. Tessler says.
To get the best of the best, companies have to go in with a plan.
Table Partners, for example, uses a talent management map to identify the top performers within a client company and search through their networks. When the same name appears across multiple contacts and networks, an organization knows it is zeroing in on the crème de la crème. Other companies request references from employees and pay a finder's fee when there's a hit.
In the era of Twitter and Facebook, it should come as no surprise that many organizations are heading online to connect.
“Social networks provide a high-quality, low-cost way to hire,” Ms. Tessler says. “If you aren't already using Web 2.0 technologies to recruit, you are behind your competitors.”
Despite the myth that social media is a young person's game, sites such as LinkedIn, Orkut and Mixi can also help find experienced talent.
On LinkedIn, for example, recruiters can view contacts as well as a person's network to spot subject matter experts and other top talent. In many cases, recruiters conduct searches online based on specific keywords or text strings. Or, they may look for someone who has established a platform of expertise by tweeting on earned value management or green IT practices.
Along with the standard scouring of candidates, many companies are taking a more proactive approach by posting videos on their websites or YouTube to build their brand.
Video can be a very effective tool for attracting top candidates and selling the merits of a company, says Mr. Helmholz.
IMAGE IS EVERYTHING
No matter the medium, a company's image and its ability to brand itself effectively can distinguish it from all the other firms going after the same candidates. Yet those messages and images must be targeted. To pull in more advanced project managers, companies may want to play up a sabbatical program, a retirement savings plan or the opportunity to lead a project. That same kind of nuanced approach should play across advertisements and the company's website.
Of course, the Internet might not even be the right answer. Mr. Helmholz argues that older professionals may very well respond better to traditional methods, such as a call from a recruiter or an ad in a trade journal.
The Big Picture
You've found the perfect senior project manager with just the right experience: a 20-year veteran with an established reputation in rescuing troubled projects. But there's a catch. She's in the United Arab Emirates, and your company is in France.
As organizations increasingly go global, they inevitably must look beyond their borders to find the talent they need. This approach offers both rewards and risks, says Raymond Kogan, president of Kogan & Co. LLC, a management consulting and strategic planning firm in Arlington, Virginia, USA.
“You must still do the up-front research and due diligence to know that you're hiring the right person,” he says.
Flying in candidates from other continents can get expensive, though. In tight economic times, some companies are opting for the high-tech route, relying on Skype and desktop video conferencing to screen candidates or even conduct full-fledged interviews.
Although face-to-face meetings are usually preferred, video does let interviewers glean important behavioral cues that don't come across over the phone, explains Daniela M. Tessler, Table Partners, São Paulo, Brazil.
For the best results, companies should know precisely what they're looking for before launching the actual hunt.
“There is no single way to find the right candidate,” says Kathy Keirsted, technical recruiter at CDI IT Solutions. “But there are ways to maximize the search process and uncover talent. It's essential to understand the business and what a particular candidate can bring to the organization.”
Companies also need to measure what works best for attracting senior project managers. Armed with that data, organizations know precisely which approaches translate into leads and which leads translate into actual placement.
“There's a greater need to think and act strategically,” Mr. Thorpe says. “It's important that an organization defines what talent is, recognizes how it fits in and understands how it can find the people it needs to be successful.” PM