Is Your Company Resisting the Future of Hiring?
October 12, 2015
By Scott Wintrip
The CEO of Uber recently posed one of the most important questions talent acquisition leaders can ask about their own organizations.
Appearing during the first week of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Travis Kalanick was asked about the future of Uber. He focused on Uber Eats, an on-demand food delivery service being quietly rolled out in select cities.
Colbert, in his patently playful manner, acted as though he didn’t understand. How could Uber effectively stockpile fresh food for delivery?
After a few rounds of Colbert jabbing and Kalanick trying to explain, the Uber CEO said:
“Do you want to be part of the future or resist the future?”
Being part of the future has made Kalanick a thought leader. Instead of responding to trends, his company and other innovators (such as Apple, Tesla, and Amazon) are defining the future, right now.
Kalanick’s question, in the context of hiring, warrants time and attention:
Is your company part of the future of hiring or resisting the future?
Here are two important considerations as you ponder this question:
The Future Is About Sufficiency, Not Scarcity
There are two types of companies when it comes hiring — those that are focused on a shortage of talent and others that believe there is enough. Which one is right? Actually, both.
Focus defines strategy.
Leaders who are focused on scarcity pay more attention to the reports and statistics that prove there are shortages of talent. They create strategies that operate from a belief that there aren’t enough people to fill their jobs. Their teams can often be seen scrambling for talent, never seeming to find enough.