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Tech Job Vacancies Change Hiring Culture

Leaders address ways to motivate and retain talent.

Leadership will be challenged to manage and communicate differently with work force of the future, said TechNet Asia-Pacific panelists, l-r: Master Sgt. Brandon T. Cruz, USAF; John C. Adams; Capt. Herman L. Archibald, USN; Sam M.P. Sneed, director, ES&, Inc.; and Jeffrey T. Jacoby.

Panelists at TechNet Asia-Pacific discuss the needs of the work force.

Technology is rapidly expanding, and as a result, we must deal with changes in our organizations as well as in our personal communications. Master Sgt. Brandon T. Cruz, USAF, chief, Standardization and Evaluations, 690th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, Joint-Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, led a panel at AFCEA Technet Asia-Pacific that looked at the cultural as well as organizational differences that occur in a hiring market where there are more jobs than skilled workers to fill them.

Expectations of upcoming work force and needs of employers have changed, said Sam M.P. Sneed, director, ES&A Inc. Companies can no longer expect to have long-term business lines. Some only last five years. If you are looking to stay with a company for more than five-year time frame, having cross-disciplinary training is valuable, she said. Fundamental needs will change daily for the people you service, so having different backgrounds to draw from makes you more resilient. Not shying from experiences that seem far a field is a good thing. They broaden your perspective and increases your value as a worker.

What meant something 10 years ago means something different now, said Capt. Herman L. Archibald, USN, commanding officer, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Pacific (NCTAMS PAC). A leader must get out into the work space and get into people’s daily lives. “I had to redefine what success looks like for my command," he said. "Mission success is about how do I connect and make sure the warfighter can do his or her job successfully." Command success is about protecting the brand. But success is not complete unless it is personal success. “Let people understand their value in the organization,” the captain recommended.

“Leaders have to be able to adapt,” said Jeffrey T. Jacoby, business director, Cybersecurity and Special Missions, Raytheon. There are different ways to communicate with young people, and the preferred mode of connecting is texting, not emailing. Some don’t even want face to face. There is nothing better than having that interaction, but you have to be able to adapt and use it all, he advised.

Most importantly, recognition is very important for your employees, stated John C. Adams, Adams Telecom. Learn to listen to people. “You can learn so much from younger people coming up. Learn and accept new ideas,” he added.