Computer Industry Recruitment Failures 8. Inefficiency
Ok, I’ve explained how I, as a breathing entity with National Insurance number, become prejudiced against by recruiters. This is nothing new in the world of human resources. To them, I am a middle‐aged man with no liabilities (mortgage or wife), no social history, and a touch of disability. Someone like that is not only prejudiced against by Human Resources, but by the society I live in. Human Resources mirror‐reflect a wider view. I am unemployed bilge who isn’t trying.
Really, I’m saying I’m not at all surprised or even terribly interested that I should be attacked by a Recruitment or Human Resources team. They look for people like me to justify their own existence. I am even prepared against them. In other circumstances, people like that would stroke me from a list, to be disposed of in a dark alley with a plank of wood.
However, the ask in this talk is what the computer industry is saying when it says it does not have enough computing personnel. It’s ok to overlook me, because employing me is way too dangerous for people who deal with the ‘cutting edge’.
Here and there, I’ve seen talk that computer coding is a young man’s game. Well, I don’t believe that, so I reckon this would work,
Did you work in computers?
If so, I’d be interested to talk to you. I’m coding, and in need of help. I don’t mind what language you used. No industry wages here, but a reasonable rate for what you do. If you can handle some customer contact, that might be helpful, but not necessary.
Contact XXXX on XXX
Even round here I reckon I might pick me up an older coder, maybe retired, if I could get their interest. And I might learn a lot from them, too.
There’s been quite a bit of discussion about women in computing. What I’ve noticed is that women seem to be making their way into testing. Here is not the place to go into that, but I see no problems at all. What is different is that I’d have to find a woman coder in a very different way to the way I’d recruit a male coder. Using a post on a job board is pretty much out—no, I’m not explaining, think it through for yourself. So happens I know of a woman who can code lives near here. Next year, if I had work, bet I could recruit, no problem. And, if she wasn’t on, I know of at least three women who may well make excellent computer coders. And they could use the pay. So there.
And, failing that, I live in a high‐unemployment area (I said that, didn’t I? That’s one reason I get rejected from computer work). Well, that gives me potential. I have to be careful, because the local boys can be more trouble than they’re worth. On the other hand, there are boys here with more sharps than Eton combined. And they’ve been dumped. If I had the base game to play and pay, I reckon I could get the right kid three‐quarters of the way through University in six months.
Some of the differences here—I’m prepared to go out and find potential, not sit on my ass wingeing. I’m prepared to be flexible about hours, not drag on with dictatorial patches of contract work. And I’m prepared to train. Oh, and I can train—no question about that. If I go for it the way I like, then I loose people at the door, and I lose people along the way, and none of us will ever pass an exam. But I’ll teach you computers alright.
Ah, but then, that will not work, will it? As outlined above, the computing industry has no access to my craft and skill. But then I’m reminded of a saying, attributed to Confucius… I recall,
If it were down to energy, you could rest halfway. But you have not taken the first step.
If you’re telling me you’ve not got the people, you could try knock on a door.
Onwards, Next