Wayne’s World: Summer 2016
|
Observations, Opinions and Musings from the Woods of Maine
Happy Summer (only 23 weeks until Christmas!),
Before you know it, Labor Day will be upon us. I hope you can enjoy what is left of the summer sunshine – and stay vigilant and safe.
Related to the topic of labor, we have seen a sea change in the IT marketplace. There has traditionally been more demand than supply, especially of some key skills and within some specific industries.
Now, however, the landscape has shifted considerably to a more candidate driven marketplace. This becomes evident as our clients are giving us positions that have gone unfilled for quite some time, and as candidates become ever more selective in where they want to work and what they want to do. Salary demands also follow this curve.
While this may strain company budgets and force them to hire temporary workers to fill the void, I think it’s a good thing for IT professionals. I have always felt that IT never really got the respect or the attention it deserves. The same can be said about EDI. But take away an executive’s email for a few hours or have an issue not receiving EDI orders and the heads perk right up.
I believe this change is a result of increased data breaches, malicious hackers, ransomware, more complex environments, and the need to integrate disparate applications and data. We live in a world where data is King, and how we use that data becomes increasingly important for competiveness and survival. Data no longer sits just inside the castle walls. It is scattered all over the fiefdom.
I’m not going to get into a lengthy discussion on Social Media at this time, but that is part of the equation whether you’re a retailer or a politician.
IT managers and key executives must have a retention strategy for their best professionals, especially if they are single threaded and without backup. Managers must also be aware that they cannot afford to wait days and weeks to make a hiring decision. The candidate may be off the market by that time.
One more key point I want to mention. If you are in a locality with fierce competition for the same resources, or in a sparsely populated area, you better change your thinking on letting people telecommute. We have seen a lot more companies offer that in the past few years, particularly to attract the millennials.
I can honestly say that the very best professionals we have utilized for contracting and consulting, over the past 20 years, work almost exclusively from their home offices. They get the job done and clients love them. You could be missing out on some great talent by taking this option off the table.
-Wayne from Maine
*Any opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily the opinions of EDI Staffing.
Our team has been staffing top EDI and IT talent since 1994
About Wayne Marshall
Wayne Marshall is currently Vice President of Professional Services at EDI Staffing. His responsibilities touch upon every facet of the company including strategy development; new business development; sales; marketing; consulting; contract management; general regulatory compliance; managing of technical resources and projects; and, most recently, HIPAA compliance as the Information Security Officer. He also manages key consulting practices and growth areas, ranging from Healthcare to GXS to Application Integration, working closely with clients and consultants alike.
Prior to joining EDI Staffing in 1999, Wayne was employed for 23 years at Polaroid Corporation where he managed their worldwide EC/EDI program. Combined with his invaluable training and background as a System Analyst, Wayne is considered a leader in the field. He has authored articles, spoken at conferences, participated in training videos, and founded the New England Electronic Commerce Users’ Group, the largest of its kind in the U.S.
His knowledge of the vendor community, software tools and industry trends resulted in his appointment to the Board of Directors for DISA, the secretariat of the ASC X12 standards organization. Wayne has also served as EDI Staffing’s representative to various organizations such as the Vendor Compliance Federation, Industrial Supply Association, and others.
Wayne graduated Summa Cum Laude from Northeastern University with a BSBA and a concentration in Management Information Systems. He enjoys various hobbies and vocations such as wine making, cooking, gardening, music, reading, playing with his pets, and keeping up with current events. Wayne most enjoys spending time with his three sons and three granddaughters.
Leave a Reply