Finding Good Employees is Easy

Recruiting employees who will be able to excel at their position now and in the future, force managers to think very carefully about how and who they are going to hire.

Now more than ever, finding "the right person for the job" is a critical element in the formula for success. Failing to achieve this objective could end up having a negative effect on fellow employees as well as the organization itself.

Therefore, it is vital that managers take advantage of a variety of simple resources when recruiting new personnel.

Due to a captive audience, one of the most advantageous means of recruiting employees is by advertising in trade journals. Publications such as Transportation Management + Engineering offer employers a unique opportunity to reach a specific type of candidate within a vast North American audience.

For example, the New York City Department of City Planning may be interested in hiring planners and/or engineers with experience in highway transportation or traffic management. Placing an ad in Transportation Management + Engineering could allow the employer a viable means to attract a large number of experienced candidates due to their professional interest in the publication.

Another option managers may wish to consider may be advertising vacancies at trade shows or society and organization meetings.

Trade shows and meetings provide managers the opportunity to meet with prospective employees and quickly review their resumes while providing the candidate an overview of the organization and position for which they seek employment.

An example of this is the Institute of Transportation Engineers Annual Meeting & Exhibit where employment opportunities are posted at a central location within the exhibit hall. At the Meeting & Expo, attendees can find advertisements for a wide range of positions?from traffic engineers to intelligent transportation systems specialists?posted by various departments of transportation and municipalities. In the ads, prospective employees may either find a location, designated person or booth to leave their resume. They also may be directed to an e-mail address.

Of course, the Internet is a valuable option for recruiting employees as well. Transportation agencies or organizations on all levels have a website which can be used as a resource for recruitment purposes.

For example, the Oregon Department of Transportation website (www.odot.state.or.us/) provides a "Jobs" button where the user can click and find an easy-to-use search capability for current jobs within the DOT.

A broader alternative may be the website for Transportation Management + Engineering (www.TMEmag.com) which offers a "Career Center." Users clicking on this button are directed to a vast array of employment resources which include the capability to view job postings; post a job on the website; and view or post resumes.

According to "Staffing Plan Survey of State Transportation Agencies," a report written by Tony Alarid, New Mexico State Highway & Transportation Department; Jacqueline N. Hood, Anderson Schools of Management, University of New Mexico; and David Albright, research bureau chief for the New Mexico State Highway & Transportation Department, one of the most popular recruitment programs currently involves college or technical school campus recruitment and job fairs, with 21 states identifying this as a successful recruitment program.

Managers now look to the future and ask themselves if the employees they are hiring now will be right for the position in 10 years.

The skills used by employees today are different from the skills that made employees successful in the past. Almost certainly, these same skills are going to evolve in order to achieve success tomorrow. Organizations have a plan for where they are headed, it is certainly vital that this plan include employees that will allow the company to accomplish their goals.