May 2008

New Ways for Boomers To Work

Gary has held his professional level position for over twenty years, and he loves his work. Over the years he's been promoted five times, has enjoyed choice international roles, and has led the organization to unprecedented achievement. Gary's six-figure income is impressive, and he's been able to afford the good life and provide well for his family. Yet, something is missing for Gary at this point in his life and career.

Gary is now approaching his sixtieth birthday, and he is ready for a change. But the options that are open to Gary are limited. He could leave his comfortable position and salary by taking full retirement, but he frankly doesn't know what he would do with all that free time. He's never been a golfer, and besides, he's always loved the challenge his work provided. He's also grown accustomed to the good life and isn't ready yet to adjust his standard of living just yet.

He could ask for a reduced work schedule, but he worries about what others will read into this decision. Will he still be considered as an organizational leader, as a team player, as a strategic contributor, or will he be viewed as someone who is just coasting to retirement?

Gary ultimately finds a unique opportunity to join a professional services firm. This organization utilizes him for project assignments, allowing him the freedom to cruise the Mediterranean, spend a month with his grandchildren, or take that immersion class in Spain while doing challenging work within his chosen field.

Gary's dilemma is not unique as unprecedented numbers of Baby Boomers reach traditional retirement age. Like Gary, they are interested in a change that permits them to continue to work in challenging roles that encourages continued growth, while scaling back in their time commitment to the job, allowing more flexibility for pursuing other interests and exploring leisure options.

Professional services firms are eagerly seeking out the Gary's of the world because they have many of the traits that their clients want: technical expertise, business savvy, maturity in handling interpersonal issues, and the wisdom that comes from twenty-plus years of experience.

Resources Global Professionals (Resources), with a two-plus-year-old office in Louisville, is growing in part due to the appeal not only to Gary and his counterparts, but also to organizations who are interested in bringing on qualified staff to support them during times of transition and change, especially as long-term, qualified staff leave organizations in unprecedented numbers. Robbie Chitwood, Director of Client Services, states, "We offer our clients the ability to acquire intellectual capital on-demand, so they can get the job done with professionals who have been there and done that." She reports that Resources often works with clients who need high-level professionals, like CFO's and controllers, who can step in and support the client through transition and change.

"The twenty-plus years of experience that our associates average across the globe allows us to not only provide outstanding talent for our clients, but also offer a unique value proposition to our consulting associates, who are W-2 employees," reports Cathy Fyock, Director of Recruiting. "We offer our associates not only interesting and challenging work with top pay and benefits, but also a work schedule that helps them balance at this phase of their careers."

Norman Pfaadt, Managing Director of the Louisville office, sums it up by saying, "Resources continues to grow because we have such good people who continue to make us look good." And the Gary's of the world are happy that they now have a place that supports them in this newest phase of career exploration.

The Truth About Hiring The Best

Unemployment rates are at record lows, making it even more challenging to find the best employees. Hiring managers want new, creative ways to recruit and select top employees. Savvy managers also know they're not just hiring for one open position-they're creating the future for their department and their organization.

The Truth About Hiring The Best, written by Employment Strategist Cathy Fyock, is the first easy-to-digest, practical book that dispels the myths about how to identify, recruit, and then select the best people. Cathy draws upon her experience as a recruiter, hiring manager, and employment consultant in providing "break-through aha's" to help you find the best people for your organization.

Anyone who needs to make a hiring decision can benefit from this book-from department managers, to business owners, to HR professionals. Whether you need to hire one person every five years or 500 people now, this book will help you meet your goals.

Talent matters. No one denies this fact. But there is often a gap between wanting and getting talent. Cathy Fyock's 53 "truths" provide concrete, practical, and well tested ideas to close the talent gap. The ideas are reasonable, grounded in research, and actionable. This is an excellent book for those who pay attention to hiring. The 53 truths offer a roadmap for doing this important task more effectively.

Are you looking for a high-content speaker for your next conference or meeting? Call or email Cathy to find out how she can work with you to meet your specific goals and objectives.

Cathy Fyock, CSP, SPHR, is an employment strategist-helping organizations develop strategies to recruit and retain top talent in an aging and changing marketplace. For nearly 20 years she has combined her knowledge of work-force issues and her talents as a speaker to provide innovative and inspirational learning events. She has helped organizations attract top talent, reduce turnover, and improve productivity in a volatile labor market.

Cathy has recently joined Resources Global Professionals as their Director of Recruiting for the Louisville office. In this role she practices "hiring the best" while focusing on attracting senior-level professionals. She also is responsible for business development.

Comments from a Recent Presentation

Permission to Reproduce This Newsletter

Permission is hereby granted to reprint articles from this report by Cathy Fyock, at no charge, with the agreement that the biographical information be included following each article used. One copy of the publication in which the article is published must be forwarded to Innovative Management Concepts. A fee of $300 per article will be expected for articles published without the biographical and contact information. Please contact us for assistance in editing this article to meet your publication guidelines.