I cannot overemphasize just how informative reading these Elite Dealer nomination forms has been. It truly does help one place a finger on the pulse of the independent dealer community. I’ve been learning about each dealer’s major accomplishments for the year, their big wins, why customers like doing business with them, their innovative marketing initiatives, and the challenges they’re facing. Some of this information will appear in the profiles of this year’s honorees in the December issue of ENX while supplemental content in The Week in Imaging will focus on the big wins and challenges.
A common challenge for many dealers, and you’ll see more evidence of that in December in The Week in Imaging, is finding good people. That’s not a new challenge by any stretch, but an age-old challenge that independent dealers have been facing since the days of typewriter dealerships. As the imaging industry evolves deeper into new technologies, services, and solutions, this task isn’t getting any easier.
That’s why some dealerships such as Centric Business Systems and Impact Networking are being proactive and have their own full-time recruiter(s) on staff or others, such as Coordinated Business Systems, are working actively with a recruiter to help overcome this hiring challenge.
It’s not like there’s no one out there, especially when one reads of all the horror stories of college grads unable to find jobs and still living at home with Mom and Dad.
Based on the many interviews and conversations I’ve had with individuals throughout this industry over the years, there’s a fair amount of people in all segments of the office imaging industry who did not go out and get an education with the idea of ending up here. I don’t mean that in a negative way, it’s just that this industry isn’t necessarily on the radar of most of us until we somehow accidentally stumble upon it.
So, yes hiring is a challenge, it probably always will be, however when one considers that this is a technology and services oriented industry, it’s a good strategy to proactively and consistently get that message across to the current and future generation of young job seekers.
Thanks for reading.
