Today is “May the 4th be With You.” It’s a day when Star Wars fans celebrate the genius of George Lucas and the saga that has captured the world for almost 40 years. And, while we wait for the next installment, due in December, I can't help but think about all the people Lucas has employed or kept employed over the years.
Think about it - from all the production people, actors and special effects people, through the people responsible for promoting and distributing the movie. Not to mention, all the people who designed and manufactured all those toys and wrote books and reviews analyzing every frame of every Star Wars movie. It took a combination of focused recruiting strategies and recruiters to get the job done.
If you had to hire all of those people, with all of those various skills, just at the right time before, during and after the movies, could you do it?
But think about recruiting and human resources today. How many times have you been asked to find an all-knowing Obi-Wan Kenobi, at the same time you are asked to find 15 blue-collar jawas and a couple of random stormtroopers thrown in for good measure?
The complexity of today's workforce means you have to be a jedi recruiter - or at least know a good one to help you out. You could cross the galaxy, only to find that one Luke Skywalker you were searching for has already left to join the rebellion (Google) and will no longer take your calls.
I'm still shocked that today, many companies rely on old recruiting habits and inadequate resources. It's like comparing the special effects from the first Star Wars movie with the last one. Now, I'll admit, you can go too far with the computer generated imagery (CGI), or even with applicant tracking system (ATS) technology, but why wouldn't you use all the tools, new and old, to maximize the impact of your recruiting efforts?
Now, don't get me started on the idea that existing HR departments in most companies are given the proper tools and support to recruit in all areas, at all times. Even the Empire outsourced some of its dirty work to bounty hunters. And, you can't tell me all of the workers on the Death Star were direct employees of the Empire. There had to be some contractors, independent contractors and payrollees in there somewhere.
The galaxy is a big place. Recruiting the right people at the right time is more challenging than ever. Especially when you realize that many scientists believe the universe is current expanding (although there is some disagreement on that point). Still, the universe of potential employees is huge.
So May the 4th be With You, and may the work-force be with you - or at least here's hoping you have a few jedi recruiters helping you find all those workers you need.
This blog was written by Matt Rivera. Matt serves as Vice President, Marketing and Communications and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of Yoh’s marketing and brand communications. Matt holds a degree in Journalism/Public Relations and has been working in the staffing industry for more than 25 years. Prior to this role, Matt held many different roles from branch recruiting and proposal writing to technology management and online marketing.
