So I'm sitting in a chair in the sky on Wi-Fi (can't get enough of that line) thinking about the conversation I overheard just two hours earlier on the long-term parking shuttle bus.So I'm sitting in a chair in the sky on Wi-Fi (can't get enough of that line) thinking about the conversation I overheard just two hours earlier on the long-term parking shuttle bus.
The bus driver was conversing with another airport transportation employee about being employed. She said something that struck me.
"My daughter works at Safeway and my son-in-law works for the fire department, and I keep telling them they need to stick to one job, work there a long time and build up that seniority. That's where the pay-off comes."
Seniority. Such an old-school term of entitlement and the old rules of employment. Granted, her context could've been more inclusive of building knowledge and experience, encompassing literal seniority as a well-rounded workforce to be reckoned with.
And you do hear that term in public safety (I had an entire family in law enforcement), retail, manufacturing, hospitality - goodness I heard it at our own marketing firm earlier this year.
So with all the focus these days on knowledge workers, competencies, performance management, employee and leadership development, flat management structures, mentoring programs, cross-functional training -- is "seniority" dead to us?
Even with the full moon early this morning, I don't think so.
I'm on my way to this year's Onrec/Kennedy Expo and look forward to meeting more of the "senior" HR/recruiting rock stars and talking with the attendees about all things recruitment, hiring, retention and seniority. (I'm just an average junior Joe who likes wearing jeans.)
Check out the fabulous line-up of topics the show has in store.
We're exhibiting as HRVendors.com (booth #101), the most comprehensive print buyers guide in the HR marketplace. We're also in HR.com's Virtual Onrec Expo.
We're also sponsoring the fantabulous Fail Spectacularly on Wednesday, November 4!
We'll see you all real soon.
Post by Kevin W. Grossman (join me on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn - and now joinHRmarketer on Twitter!)
Labels: employment, kennedy expo, onrec expo 2009, recruiting, seniority