Slugging through the War for Talent

Take heart job seekers!

The chips are stacked on your side of the table, and in the war for talent, employers think they know what you want.

But most are still found wanting.

According to a study released today by Development Dimensions International (DDI), and Monster^®, today's job market is increasingly in the hands of the candidate.

The study, titled “Slugging Through the War for Talent: Selection Forecast 2006-2007,” reveals that 73 percent of staffing directors report competition for talent has increased since 2005, while 79 percent expect it to further intensify in 2007.

“Candidates are in a very powerful position—organizations need to think about hiring as a competitive practice if they want to attract the best people,”

said Scott Erker, senior vice president of DDI’s Selection Solutions.

“Right now, there is a significant gap between what candidates want and what employers think they want. That’s dangerous for organizations, because many don’t understand the motivations of the candidate sitting right in front of them.”

This is DDI’s third study of hiring and recruiting practice since 1999, providing perspective on the changing shape of the hiring market over the last eight years.

The report, which reflects responses from staffing directors, hiring managers and job seekers across five global regions, examines recruitment, selection and retention practices and reveals that a tightening labor market has subsequently led to a power shift toward job seekers.

In order to lure top talent in this increasingly competitive environment, the
findings suggest that employers must identify, understand
and respond to job seekers’ motivations and desires.

The study also outlines the tactics and strategies organizations can implement to improve their hiring systems and better meet job seekers’ needs.

“The recruiting industry has acknowledged for several years that retiring Baby Boomers, coupled with a tightening labor market, would eventually bring about an acute labor shortage. However, the survey findings indicate that this eventuality is already upon us,”

said Neal Bruce, vice president of alliances, Monster. “

Select Survey Highlights

• It’s a buyer’s market.

• There is a gap between employer perceptions and candidate realities.

• Turnover is rapid.
  

• Interviews can be dealmakers or deal breakers.

The executive summary, "Selection Forecast 2006-2007" is is currently available online from DDI HERE and the Monster Intelligence web site, HERE.

Check out the complete article on PRWeb.com.

Posted also on WirelessJobs.com

Google Kicks Mobi Search in High Gear

Google, in response to Yahoo's oneSearch, has upgraded its WAP-based search to incorporate more data and information into results.

Check out Google's Blog where Yael Shacham gives the 411 on mobile search (HERE). Yael is the Product Mgr for Google's Mobile team).

Starting today, they've made the new mobile search openly available - take it for a spin here.

The Carnival of the Job Search @ WirelessJobs.com

I'm really not a fan of the carnival. Guess I get a little freaked out by the sideshow acts. I just can't figure giving my hard-earned money to see a woman with lots of facial hair.

Howevuh...I've been diggin' the idea of the blog carnival lately. I got my first invite a few months back to participate in a blog carnival by our good buddy Jason Alba at JibberJobber.

Of course, I was too lazy to participate (or I forgot), but I liked the idea nonetheless.

So, I decided it was time to do a "Carnival of the Job Search."

Two reasons why I like this idea:

1) It has the opportunity of connecting me with other people I might never have the chance to meet. Yep, this is really the only reason.

2) It's a lot easier than asking people to write a post. All that's required is that they send me a job posting that they'd like me to reference in my weekly "carnival of the job search" post.

So, what is the carnival of the job search? It's simply a weekly post on WirelessJobs.com that includes job postings and links from various recruiters around the planet. Well, at least those who decide to participate in the carnival.

The important stuff:

So, how do you, Recruiter, participate? Simply submit a job posting via the "Submit an Article Form" no later than Thursday @ 3:00PM CT of each week.

I will compile each of the job postings and submit in one posting on Friday afternoon of each week.

I will post at least one job from each requester, depending on the total number of submissions for that week's carnival.

Job Posting Format:

Job Posting should be in this format (no job descriptions!):

Manager, RF Engineering - Atlanta, GA,

T-Mobile USA

For more information, please email Dennis @ wirelessheadhunter@gmail.com

Note: the link to the job description is in the job title.

If the job is already posted on a blog or career site, please provide the link so that I can reference within the post.

I will preface each job posting by naming the person that submitted the job, and will reference appropriate links to their blog - company - agency - etc.

Here's the biggie:

I will provide additional love and accolades for all requests that are heavily laden with humor. Yes, yes, we've got to keep it professional.

If you've managed to miss the previous links that will take you to the carnival of the job search, click HERE.

So, it's time to get your blog on, Recruiters.

I look forward to the carnival.

Hot Jobs @ T-Mobile

Here's a few of our hot jobs to peruse while you're killin' time this weekend:

Manager 3, Engineering - PM (Chicago, IL) #150341

Manager 4, Engineering - RF (Concord, CA) #149121

Manager 4, Engineering - Dev (Concord, CA) #149132

Director, Engineering - Development (Parsippany, NJ) #144327

Check out our career site @ T-Mobile.com.

Send me an email @ jobluv@gmail.com.



Checkout Las Vegas jobs at NVJobSearch.

Inc. 500 Telecom Company Merges with Wireless Firm

Tangoe, an Orange, Conn.-based expense management company, has merged with TRAQ Wireless, an Austin, Tex.-based mobile-services management firm, the companies announced Thursday.

The new company, which will operate under the name Tangoe, will provide corporate technology-based software and services for voice, data, and wireless communications, the companies said.

source: Inc.com

Wireless Call Quality Declines, Thanks 3G

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Wireless Call Quality Problems Continue to Decline as the Transition to 3G Networks Takes Hold

Verizon Wireless Ranks Highest in Five of the Six Regions in Call Quality Performance

As the number of reported wireless problems reaches historically low levels, the overall rate of customers experiencing a wireless call quality problem has declined for a third consecutive reporting wave, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Wireless Call Quality Performance Study(SM)-Volume 1 released today.

source: TechWhack.com

California Cingular Customers Get Refund

Cingular Wireless will refund $18.5 million to thousands of former California customers who were penalized for canceling their mobile phone service because they had trouble making and receiving calls.

The settlement announced Thursday with the California Public Utilities Commission ends a lengthy battle revolving around Cingular's treatment of dissatisfied subscribers from January 2000 through April 2002.

About 115,000 customers who left Cingular during that time will receive average refund checks of $160 to cover the fees that they were charged for prematurely ending their contracts. The refunds include interest.

source: DailyReportOnline

Telecommunications Predictions 2007 (Deloitte)

Deloitte's recent study examines 10 emerging developments sure to make 2007 another eventful year for the telecommunications industry:

Reaching the limits of cyberspace—growth in video traffic on the "superhighway" means the Internet is approaching gridlock. (Haven't we heard this one before? Is Deloitte saying that we are approaching gridlock in 2007 or that we'll reach gridlock?).

The net neutrality debate needs resolution—the Internet, fundamental freedom for all or a tiered, toll-based enterprise? (Agree - this one's not going away).

The broadband appliance unlocks the Internet for everyone—sidestepping the PC via new, small devices will promote future growth in Internet penetration.

Long live mobile video (just forget the television)—moving video content from the phone and onto bigger screens is far more likely to reap profits than trying to squeeze television onto mobile phones (I'm guessing Verizon's not backing this prediction).

It’s mobile, but not as we knew it—network operators need to shake things up as mobile moves indoors.

The case for innovation, not imitation, in IPTV—IPTV needs to develop an original offer of television, not be a pale imitation of what currently exists.

The kilobyte is the killer application—bigger is not always better, as kilobyte-sized applications show.

The double-edged sword of triple play—failure to deliver a consistent quality of service across all their bundled offerings could cost operators dearly.

The connectivity chasms deepen—in the expanding digital divide, if you do not have voice, you may not have a voice.

The rising cost of free telecommunications—the "free lunch" in telecommunications may cause indigestion for some.

The report includes recommendations from the Technology, Media & Telecommunications industry group on how to take advantage of these emerging trends.

Read the full report in the PDF file attachment HERE.

15 Top .mobi Domains to be Auctioned in March

Washington (DC) - To help fund upcoming projects, the dotMobi group is auctioning off 15 of the top .mobi domains next month.

Singles.mobi, casinos.mobi, and pizza.mobi are just some of the names that will be up for bids.

The other domains, all ending in .mobi, are airfare, areacodes, cam, creditscore, directions, eat, libre, loancalculator, models, newmusic, pics, and realestate.

Last year, the group held a similar auction that raised nearly $400,000.

The auction will be held on March 7 at the T.R.A.F.F.I.C. expo in Las Vegas, which is an event for domain name developers. Part of the proceeds will go to furthering dotMobi projects.

The sale of these 15 highly desirable names allows dotMobi to fund ongoing initiatives for the web developer and content provider communities such as the developer forum, and the free mobile readiness testing and reporting tool,”

said dotMobi CEO Neil Edwards.

source: The Mobi Blog

Alcatel Launching Mobile Phones in North America

It looks like my buddies over at Alcatel (now Alcatel-Lucent) will be getting in to the handset biz.

Wow - just sounds strange to think about Alcatel being in the handset business (hey, John-Boy, let's have lunch and take mobile handsets!)

Here's the scoop:

Alcatel Mobile will be launching its presence in the North American market later this month at the CTIA Wireless trade show with partner Cellatel.

Their lineup of GSM/EDGE phones falls in the lower and mid range end of the mobile spectrum. Cellatel trialled several of its "E Series" phones with Cingular last summer, but so far there has been no word if Cingular chose to carry any of the handsets.

Based on information from its web site, Alcatel Mobile / Cellatel is targeting the MVNO market and will offer branding/customization services, as well as logistics, support and marketing.

source: PhoneScoop.com

5 I'd work for, 5 I wouldn't!

My new friends at wirelessisfun.com just posted an interesting piece called, "5 I'd word for, 5 I wouldn't!"

Well, to be specific, it wasn't the whole crew, just Dan.

Here's the post:

Getting a job in the Internet era is trivial if you’re serious about your skills and really want to go the next mile. It’s a personal matter to choose fun over paycheck, relocation over your home town or country, alternative crew or 9-5 army.

Since I deal with the following companies in various ways, I’ve settled on which I’d say yes or no to if they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Not all of them are in the wireless field, but they are all Internet players.

The beloved-

1. Skype, because they preserve identity and stimulate individual development, while managing to hold a functional team. Plus, working for Skype is fun.
2. Moo, because they use Macs, are innovative and have a good sense of humor.
3. Meraki, because they’re still young and I could get there in time to make them work.
4. Apple Inc., only if i took Steve’s job. It’s the only decent/thrilling job in Cupertino.
5. A Chinese OEM. I bet that’s fun! :)

The ‘no so much’-

1. Google, because they’re big and matte. Individual identity? What’s that?? So what if they pay, give you free candy and loundry? The paycheck should cover that plenty anyway.
2. Yahoo!, oh no! These guys have lost touch with the 21st century realm.
3. T-Mobile, too big and slow moving, lost in the incumbment’s junkyard. I’d say yes only if they gave me an innovation team to work with and took us seriously.
4. Fon, because they’re only cool on paper. I’m into really changing the WiFi world!
5. Cisco, because only the Japs know the secret of the do-it-all company.
# Dell, nope! Don’t ask!
# Boingo. Nope! Innovation??? Ring a bell?
# Vodafone and the like. No way! Clock tickin for you guys! ;)

I’m off to my favorite caffe downtown to sip on a latte! Which employer would let me out of the cubicle before 5pm?

Dan notes a few good points on the companies for which he'd rather choose unemployment. However, I feel it's my duty to defend at least two companies that made it to his "naughty" list:

Google:
Hey, you can't please everybody, but most likely the #1 company on Fortune's Best Place to Work list isn't going to fool this many people. And we recently posted this video that showed its share of smart, happy, energetic employees, many of whom I'd wager leave the office at 5pm each day for a caffe. And I don't think they're all just drinking the Google Kool-Aid.

I could be crazy, but something makes me think that the folks at Google have "individual identity" to spare. I mean, c'mon, isn't Jason the epitome of individual identity? Just look at that mug!

T-Mobile:
I know, I'm slightly partial here. I left a comment on Dan's post and questioned whether he had the right company. Anybody that's ever had reason to work with, or for, T-Mobile USA, would not use the words "big and slow-moving" to describe the company.

Hey, we're not perfect, but big and slow-moving are absolutely inaccurate. We might be big (employee-wise) compared to Alltel or U.S. Cellular, but certainly not when compared to the likes of Verizon and the new AT&T.

Big and slow-moving? Wow, I don't put in many 80 hour work/weeks, but I'm no slouch. And neither I, nor my colleagues are what I'd call slow-moving.

In fact, I'll go out on a limb and say that, I believe it would be difficult in the United States to be a big, slow-moving company and still receive the highest customer service rating by J.D. Power and Associates for six consecutive years (among wireless carriers).

But like I said, I'm partial.

Okay, Dan, I'm officially stepping off of the soap-box now.

But just for the record, I still like you and your motley wireless crew. And to prove it, I'll officially leave the office at 4:00pm CST tomorrow. Your ears will probably be itching as I say a lil' toast to my good buddy Dan and, in his honor, sip my Caffe Latte.

Cheers, my friend. And thanks for keeping wireless "fun."

Wi-Fi TV to Launch InternetWeddingTV.com

Wi-Fi TV Enters $72 Billion U.S. Wedding Business With Launch of InternetWeddingTV.com (which lets newlyweds post their wedding videos and photos for free).

Weddings are a $72 billion a year business in the U.S., and Wi-Fi TV Inc. announced today that it will be a leader in the American marketplace for bringing weddings online, with the intro of InternetWeddingTV.com, as part of its Social Internet TV™ platform.

"Social Internet TV is all about people getting together, so this is a natural for Wi-Fi TV and the next phase of what will happen with a modern marriage,"

stated Lisa Pahl, Director, Wi-Fi TV Inc.

This was bound to happen. But I've still found that the only wedding pic's I'm interested in viewing more than once are my own.

Am I alone?

Or, maybe I'm just being "a man."

source: marketwire.com

T-Mobile Named A Service Champ

It's my horn, so I'm gonna blow it:

T-Mobile USA is the only cell phone company named by BusinessWeek magazine as one of the 25 top customer service companies in the United States.

We will now return to our regularly scheduled broadcast.

GotZapp (mobile social network)

Wireless Duniya posted today about a new mobile social network site called GotZapp.

GotZapp lets users create mini-websites with the "Ziranda" mobile content creator. The "Zapps" (images, text, music) can then be rated, commented on and downloaded by other users.

Cool stuff.

Maybe we'll see some mini job search sites pop up soon.

Yep, Wireless is Fun

Hey Dan! I absolutely had you in mind when I was writing this post - and I knew you wouldn't disappoint.

Thanks for your comment.

And, yes, I do plan on taking your offer on my next trip to Romania!

Dennis

Sr. Manager, Engineering Development - TMobile Nashville, TN

At T-Mobile, we're looking for the next big idea. Yours.

Our job search is on, and we're looking for an extraordinary leader to join us in Nashville, TN as a Senior Manager of Engineering Development (click title for extended job description).

Check out the link, or send me an email expressing your interest.

Geeked-out-slamdunkin-engineering folks only need apply.

Dennis Smith
Sr. Manager, Recruiting
wirelessheadhunter@gmail.com
T-Mobile USA
WirelessJobs.com (Blog)