The Cranky Middle Manager Show #316 The Final Cranky Show and the Future of Work with John Blackwell
The Cranky Middle Manager Show #146 The New World of Work- Melanie Holmes
Posted on 02. Jun, 2008 by Wayne in Podcast
The Cranky Middle Manager Show 146 The New World of Work- Melanie Holmes: Play Now | Play in Popup | DownloadCranky Middle Manager Wayne Turmel takes a look at what employers are really looking for in managers, and how we can prepare for a job search if we need one. We talk to Melanie Holmes from VP of World of Work Solutions at Manpower and writer of the Contemporary Working Blog. We also celebrate the third anniversary of The Cranky Middle Manager Show… Whacking weasels since May 31, 2005
Show Notes
0:00 Welcome to the 146th Edition of the Cranky Middle Manager on our third anniversary. Since our guest, Melanie Holmes, works for a Temp Agency, it seemed the right time to commiserate with Commander Friedrich Adolph Riedesel. Managing temps has never been easy gang. Especially when the project fails.
3:11 The quote of the week is from another German, John Paul Richter…. change exposes character more than permanence….. stability is overrated. Righhhhhhht
4:45 Welcome to Melanie Holmes, the absolutely delightful VP of World of Work Solutions…nice when you can pick your own job title. She looks at the trends impacting hiring companies, government agencies and the like. What do employers have to say about their middle managers? If you’re looking for sympathy we won’t find it with Melanie I’m afraid….
7:35 What skills do employers most want to see in their managers? It’s soft skills rather than technical expertise. Communication, teamwork and working and playing well with others are all on the menu. Melanie gives a good IT example- like we’ve always said onthis show you have to understand what your business does and how it works. Check out our Manifesto.
10:00 Where does the company’s responsibility lie? What about our own? We talk about the value (or not) of an MBA.
15:00 How do we get in front of the right people with our resumes? Melanie suggests getting rid of the standard format for resumes and CVs to show off these special skills. If you’re hoping job boards gets the job done, guess again. you’re better off on Myspace and Facebook…. really.
19:20 What are the growing job areas? Engineers, machinists and skilled trades, finance and, for a group of people that are always around, sales weasels are in short demand. Who knew?
22:00 What about all of us who do development on our own. Josh Kaufman’s Personal MBA (you can hear him on our show here) is an example. Also don’t forget Manager Tools and all the other great blogs and resources….How do you quantify all the cool stuff you’ve been doing? Get proactive people.
26:54 If she had a magic wand, what would she tell her client companies to STOP doing that tortures their middle managers? Not allowing people to cross disciplines is a big one. We also quote Gautam Ghosh on the Working Week podcast about that situation in India.
30:00 Is the “war for talent” a conspiracy theory??????
Resources: Check out the Manpower BLawg with lawyer Mark.
Don’t let the weasels get you down!
Congrats on three years Wayne!
Wayne:
I really enjoyed our chat. Let’s do it again sometime soon!
Melanie
Wayne:
I do not think that the war for talent is a conspiracy theory. There is a legitimate recognition that finding good people with required skills is a big challenge for many industries, especially those that depend on good math and science skills. Not only is the “Baby Boom” generation that was enthused by the Space Race retiring, but they are being followed by several generations that believe that law or business is much more interesting than technology or engineering. Of course, there are plenty of software jockeys out there, but not so many who know much about electrical power transmission grids or steam piping codes and requirements.
Melanie has also done a great service by pointing out the value of technical training programs as opposed to the more widely understood four year degrees. I think that parents often do themselves and their children a disservice by always pressing for college as the step right after high school instead of encouraging their children to think about learning a “trade” first.
Anyway, just thought I would stop by and let you know that I am still listening, enjoying and recommending CMM to colleagues. Keep up the good work on important topics.
Hi ….
Wayne, very interesting show – thank you.
Melanie Holmes mentions some online assessments you can take. Is there anyone who know concrete examples and would share any links?
Thanks in advance!