It's not just a jobThe market decides our subscription price and ad rates. The market also decides what we cover in the magazine. If 100,000 people want to read about running a Commodore Amiga emulator on Linux, we will write and run it, probably twice. But if only one guy is interested in that information, it's going to be very low on the priority list, no matter how vocal he may be.The same forces are at work everywhere, with consequences, good or bad, for all of us. When Apple let the engineering and sales teams run amuck, the stage was set for market gainsaying. The market had changed, but Apple hadn't. Microsoft could never be accused of the same blindness. They are not zealots, those Microsofties, but very insecure fellows. They almost apologize when they finally admit where they work. But, man, do they work at studying the markets. Sure, they are a favorite target these days; it's safe party banter to slam Microsoft and Bill Gates. But whatever your pet peeve is about Microsoft, unless you suffer from dementia, you must admit that Microsoft made their zillions in the marketplace. When staffing our organizations, do we study the markets? Even today in this age of empowerment, most companies hire people just to get the work done. But aren't potential and current employees one of our most critical markets? Clearly we should be devoting just as much time marketing to our own people as we do to our customers. But in most companies, lip service to this philosophy is the norm. "The employer generally gets the employees he deserves." Words of wisdom by Sir Walter Gilbey. The same wise words could be said of customers, vendors, and lendors. The resource of people can make or break a company, and never before is HR such a critical element of the landscape. We hope that this special issue of Computing Japan provides you with some navigational help. And for the job seeker, look for companies that communicate well, share the vision, and empower you. Otherwise, it's just a job. |
