One of the main topics at last week’s channel analyst conference in Dublin involved plans to assist channel partners in recruiting and retaining top talent.
With ambitions to become a $50 billion company by 2010, Cisco has started at that end objective, looked backwards, and determined that partners focused on advanced technologies, services, and solution delivery might not also be able to apply adequate resources to finding the talent necessary to keep all the other balls in the air at the same time. They found that most partners simply don’t have the infrastructure to systematically recruit talent. Therefore, it’s very much in Cisco’s best interest to help the partners.
The company has started a multi-theater, HR-focused approach to increasing productivity, accelerating training, and develop higher-quality hiring procedures that channel partners can adopt if they so choose. We should stress the voluntary aspect of this. Partners never like when vendors tell them how to run their businesses, regardless of who that vendor might be. So if Cisco partners feel they have this whole talent and recruitment thing nailed, they will not be forced to change their ways or adopt anything.
In addition to the development of best practices around these functions, Cisco also intends to share resumes it receives with participating channel partner, once issues around confidentiality can be resolved.
Quick assessment: I think there’s a lot of good potential here, but I think Cisco needs to tread carefully. On the one hand, anything that helps partners deliver quality to the end user has got to be a good thing. On the other hand, I believe Cisco should avoid situations where they might be perceived as holding down prices for skilled experts. I’m sure there are people out there who would disagree with me. But if we live in a market where people get laid off to protect shareholder value, then those people who run that risk of getting laid off deserve to use those same market conditions to get paid what the market will bear.
Your thoughts?
The Leader in Network Knowledge
Hit the nail on the head
Ken,
Without a doubt you hit the nail on the head.
The fact the Cisco is being proactive gives it a substantial head start and also like you pointed out, it will not be easy, but it will be more than worth it given the huge potential that successful global talent recruiting will create for the growth of Cisco and its partners.
And just like most things, Cisco will find they can lead partners to water, but can't make them drink.
Sincerely,
Brad Reese
http://www.BradReese.Com